INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department plans to take to reduce childhood (a) stunting and (b) wasting.

Lynne Featherstone: The coalition Government has committed to reach 20 million pregnant women and children under the age of five over the period 2010-15 through nutrition related programmes. For example, in Bangladesh, the UK is reaching 243,000 adolescent girls, 103,500 pregnant women and 225,000 children under the age of five by combining interventions to tackle extreme poverty with measures to tackle stunting. In addition, tackling undernutrition in young, children and their mothers is a key part of the UK's response to humanitarian emergencies.
	The Prime Minister recently confirmed that the UK will continue to lead the battle against hunger in 2013, with a food and nutrition event a few days before the G8 summit.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to support and encourage the use of renewable energy sources in developing countries.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development (DFID) is encouraging developing countries to adopt renewable energy sources through a combination of financial and policy support.
	Financial support is delivered primarily through the International Climate Fund (ICF). The ICF was established in 2011 to deliver on the UK's commitment to build resilience and capacity in developing countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This was reiterated by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), in Doha in December 2012. For example, with ICF support, the multilateral Climate Investment Funds are helping 48 developing countries to pilot low-emission and climate-resilient development, including through the development of renewable energy sources.
	Our policy support focuses on helping countries to accelerate their transition to cleaner forms of energy and creating the enabling conditions for private sector investment. For example through the Low Emissions Development Strategies (LEDS) initiative we are helping countries to plan for, and attract investment in, low carbon infrastructure, including renewable energy. The UK is also a supporter of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, launched by the UN Secretary-General. This reflects the increasing global recognition of the need to expand energy access to poor people, while also increasing the use of renewable energy.

Employment Agencies

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total spending on recruitment agencies by her Department was in each month from July to December 2012.

Alan Duncan: During July to December 2012 the total cost of recruitment agencies used by DFID, in each month, was:
	
		
			 2012 
			 Month Recruitment agency spend (£) 
			 July 173,155 
			 August 57,720 
			 September 197,243 
			 October 132,289 
			 November 204,764 
			 December(1) 46,153 
			 (1) Not all spending has as yet been processed for December. 
		
	
	This figure represents the total paid to recruitment agencies. These payments were for the services of temporary staff and included both payments to the individual and a fee to the recruitment agency. It is not possible to disaggregate this figure.

Independent Commission for Aid Impact

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact.

Justine Greening: In 2013, a review of Independent Commission Aid Impact will take place as mandated by the Cabinet Office as part of its Triennial Review programme for all non-departmental public bodies.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by her Department to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: DFID awarded contracts worth £675,000 for administrative consultancy in financial year 2011-12, down from £1.4 million in 2010-11. This reduction in spending was due to the Department's implementation of central Government controls on spending from May 2010 onwards.
	DFID awarded one contract to an IT company in 2011-12. This was awarded to Midland HR for work on DFID's human resources processes and systems upgrade. The total value of the contract was £600,000. No contracts were awarded to IT companies in 2010-11.
	This information relates to contracts awarded by DFID's corporate procurement team. To provide information from our overseas offices or on low value contracts (under £103,000) would incur a disproportionate cost.

Redundancy

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil service posts have been made redundant by her Department in each year since 1999; and what the cost of redundancies has been in each such year.

Alan Duncan: When a civil servant role ends, employees are given the opportunity for redeployment before a paid exit is considered. Voluntary exits are also used to mitigate the number of redundancies.
	The following table shows the number of staff whose paid early exit was approved by DFID under the provisions of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS). Data for years prior to 2002-03 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of departures Cost (£ million) 
			 2002-03 24 2.281 
			 2003-04 9 0.865 
			 2004-05 11 1.435 
			 2005-06 35 2.825 
			 2006-07 31 3.220 
			 2007-08 95 7.315 
			 2008-09 17 2.218 
			 2009-10 53 4.479 
			 2010-11 37 2.668 
			 2011-12 70 3.497

Redundancy

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many posts have been declared redundant by each of her Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1999; and what has been the cost of those redundancies.

Alan Duncan: There have been no redundancies in DFID’s non-departmental public bodies since 1999.

Redundancy Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total amount of redundancy pay paid to civil servants in her Department was in each month from July to December 2012.

Alan Duncan: When a civil service role ends, employees are given the opportunity for redeployment before a paid exit is considered. Voluntary exits are also used to mitigate the number of redundancies.
	The total amount of redundancy pay paid to DFID employees in each month from July to December 2012 is detailed in the following table. These costs include compensation paid for voluntary exit, voluntary redundancy and compulsory redundancy.
	
		
			  Cost (£) 
			 2012  
			 July 191,248 
			 August 156,435 
			 September 146,179 
		
	
	
		
			 October 13,658 
			 November 12,780 
			 December 0

Temporary Employment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what amount her Department spent on interim staff as defined by the National Audit Office in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: DFID records the total cost of contingent labour, which for 2010-11 was £1,363,023 and for 2011-12 was £1,196,234. Contingent labour, as defined by the Cabinet Office, includes “agency (clerical and admin), interim manager and specialist contractors”.
	The details can be found on DFID's website :
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Workforce-Management-Information/

Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many temporary staff have been recruited in her Department in each month from July to December 2012.

Alan Duncan: The number of temporary staff (defined by the Office for National Statistics as staff who have a fixed term contract of 12 months or less or are employed on a casual basis) recruited by DFID in each month from July to December 2012 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 2012 
			 Month Number of temp staff recruited 
			 July 1 
			 August 1 
			 September 6 
			 October 0 
			 November 1 
			 December 0

UNICEF

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of aid funding provided by her Department is given to UNICEF.

Alan Duncan: In the financial year 2011-12 the UK Government provided £189 million to UNICEF. This was made up of £40 million in voluntary core funding to UNICEF while the remainder was for specific projects and programmes. This represented 2.4% of the aid budget for the Department for international Development.
	UNICEF was evaluated as very good value for money in the DFID Multilateral Aid review.

WALES

Employment Agencies

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total spending on recruitment agencies by his Department was in each month from July to December 2012.

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office has spent the following amounts on recruitment agency fees over each of the following months:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2012  
			 July 150.64 
			 August 97.10 
			 September 39.46 
			 October 19.00 
			 November 69.25 
			 December 156.29

Food Banks

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the name and location of each food bank he has visited since May 2010.

David Jones: Details of all meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis on the Wales Office website.

Food Banks

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of food banks established in Wales in each of the last five years.

David Jones: The Government does not collate or hold numbers of food banks established in Wales in each of the last five years.
	The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), through Jobcentre Plus, operates a simple signposting process to food banks in Wales and across Great Britain. This builds on the Jobcentre Plus standard practice of holding, locally, the details of organisations that may be able to help claimants with concerns that are outside the remit of the DWP. Jobcentre Plus will only signpost claimants to food banks if there is no help available through DWP.

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which events at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were attended by each Minister in his Department using tickets or passes for which they did not pay personally; and what the cost was of attending each such event for members of the public who used comparable seats or had comparable access.

David Jones: The Government pledged to publish these details following the Olympic and Paralympic games and will do so shortly.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by his Department to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Crabb: In 2010-11, the Wales Office awarded a management consultancy contract in the amount of £6,870.85.
	During financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12, the Wales Office awarded a contract for IT Hosting and Support for our website at a value of £6,936 per annum.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants in his Department regularly deal with procurement services.

Stephen Crabb: None.

Redundancy

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil service posts have been made redundant by his Department in each year since 1999; and what the cost of redundancies has been in each such year.

Stephen Crabb: There have been no redundancies since the establishment of the Wales Office in 1999.

Redundancy Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total amount of redundancy pay paid to civil servants in his Department was in each month from July to December 2012.

Stephen Crabb: None.

Temporary Employment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what amount his Department spent on interim staff as defined by the National Audit Office in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Crabb: The amount spent on interim staff in the financial year 2010-11 was £5,913.90. In the financial year 2011-12, the amount spent was £30,298.06. These figures comprise agency-provided staff salaries, agency fees, and VAT.

Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many temporary staff have been recruited in his Department in each month from July to December 2012.

Stephen Crabb: Two temporary members of staff have been recruited during this time; one in November and one in December 2012.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services: Concessions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many recipients of the free bus pass there were in each income decile; and what the cost to the public purse was for each such decile in the latest period for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not have the information to be able to present concessionary pass uptake in each income decile. However, the following tables from the National Travel Survey (NTS) show pass uptake and concessionary bus boardings made by six income groups:
	
		
			 Table 1—Take-up of older person's concessionary travel pass by household income: England, 2008-10 
			 Household income: Take-up rate (%) 
			 Less than £7000 79 
			 £7,000-£9,999 80 
			 £10,000-£14,999 78 
			 £15,000-£19,999 80 
			 £20,000-£29,999 73 
			 £30,000 or more 66 
			 All household incomes 75 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2—Average number of bus boardings using an older person's concessionary pass by household income: England, 2008-10 
			 Household income Bus boardings per pass holder per year 
			 Less than £7000 198 
			 £7,000-£9,999 167 
			 £10,000-£14,999 122 
			 £15,000-£19,999 104 
			 £20,000-£29,999 86 
			 £30,000 or more 78 
			 All household incomes 119 
			 Note 1—Figures are based on data from three NTS survey years combined (2008, 2009 and 2010). Note 2—These figures do not take into consideration the concessionary travel changes which took place in April 2010 and all individuals 60+ have been included in the eligibility base for all years. 
		
	
	Local authorities must reimburse bus operators such that the operator is left no better and no worse off for taking part in the concessionary travel scheme. The calculation of the reimbursement amount due does not consider the household income of each concessionary passholder who boards a bus. Therefore, it is not possible to breakdown spend on concessionary travel into income deciles. In 2011/12 the average reimbursement cost per concessionary journey was 84 pence.

Driving Under Influence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has given consideration to including questions on alcohol consumption and the drink driving limit in the driving theory test; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The driving theory test already contains questions about the effects of alcohol and drugs on a person's ability to drive. The test does not contain questions about the legal drink driving limits as the Highway Code advises drivers not to drink any alcohol when planning to drive.

Equality

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of staff in his Department have received training in equality and diversity and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 in the last three years.

Norman Baker: The proportion of staff in the Department for Transport and its six executive agencies who have received training in equality and diversity and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 in the last three years is 66%.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by his Department to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The monetary value of contracts awarded by the Central Department and its Agencies for Management Consultancies and IT Companies in 2010-11 and 2011-12 is as follows:
	
		
			  Apr 10 to Mar 11 April 11 to Mar 12 
			 Management Consultancies £750,000 £568,309 
			 IT Companies £24,258,523 £97,963,237 
		
	
	The reason for the large increase in IT Companies spend is due to two large refreshed contracts being procured by the Highways Agency, including one for £57m which is on a seven year cycle.

Redundancy

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Civil Service posts have been made redundant by his Department in each year since 1999; and what the cost of redundancies has been in each such year.

Norman Baker: The number of Civil Service posts made redundant by the central Department in each year since 1999 is not fully available. The table below details the redundancies and associated costs which have been made since 2006/7 which is the first available data held by the Department.
	
		
			  Redundant posts/cost 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 
			 Department for Transport Posts 0 0 0 0 185 96 2 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 13,427,732 4,256,418 2 54,711

Redundancy

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many posts have been declared redundant by each of his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1999; and what the cost of those redundancies has been.

Norman Baker: The number of posts declared redundant by each of the Department for Transport's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies are set out in the following table. The Department is unable to supply full details before 2006 except at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Redundant posts / Cost 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 
			 Executive Agencies         
			 Driving Standards Agency Posts 75 6 0 0 2 37 53 
			  Costs (£) 1,097,081 57,014 0 0 50,006 1,271,383.72 1,320,556 
			          
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Posts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency Posts 0 0 72 0 6 0 26 
			  Costs 0 0 3,241,975 0 129,650 0 619,887 
			          
			 Highways Agency Posts 26 7 13 37 99 1 2 
			  Costs 2,697,978 788,318 2,277,571 408,507 4,270,000 25,409 27,536 
			          
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency Posts 0 0 0 0 87 36 0 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 3,730,544 803,104 0 
			          
			 Vehicle Certification Agency Posts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency Posts 0 1 1 36 27 30 87 
			  Costs 0 28,549 136,713 258,699 1,098,522 1,332,676 656,358 
			          
			 Non-Departmental Public Bodies         
			 Traffic Commissioners Posts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 Rail Heritage Committee Posts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 Passenger Focus Posts 0 0 0 0 0 26  
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 0 636,527 0 
			          
			 British Transport Police Authority Posts 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 0 4,442 0 
		
	
	
		
			          
			 Northern Lighthouse Board Posts 0 0 1 0 40 4 0 
			  Costs 0 0 41,184 0 5,249 221,510 0 
			          
			 Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee Posts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 High Speed 2 Posts  0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 Directly Operated Railways Posts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Costs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Sick Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2012, Official Report, column 149W, on sick leave, if he will make an assessment of the contribution mindfulness-based practice can make to reducing work place stress and staff absences in his Department.

Norman Baker: We have no plans to make an assessment of the contribution mindfulness-based practice can make to reducing work place stress and staff absences in the Department.

DEFENCE

AirTanker

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was paid to AirTanker under the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft contract to provide air-to-air refuelling flights for RAF aircraft using buddy tanks in the last financial year.

Andrew Murrison: The RAF has no requirement for Voyager to undertake air-to-air refuelling using “buddy tanks”. There have been no payments to AirTanker this year for air-to-air refuelling.

Armed Forces

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department has given to providing the Adaptable Force, as set out under the Army 2020 reforms, with access to communication and survey suites for training purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Murrison: The Adaptable Force, as envisaged under Army 2020, will deliver a diverse set of capabilities from both the Regular Army and Reservists. The capabilities and their training requirements are currently being developed. However, these will be appropriate to the role and readiness criteria required from theAdaptable Force.

Armed Forces

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) lieutenants, (b) sub-lieutenants, (c) midshipmen, (d) officer cadets, (e) chief petty officers, (f) petty officers, (g) leading rates and (h) able rates are serving in the Royal Navy; and how many naval personnel of each rank are on each pay scale level.

Mark Francois: The information requested will be placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) captains, (b) lieutenants, (c) 2nd lieutenants, (d) warrant officers, (e) staff sergeants, (f) sergeants, (g) corporals, (h) lance corporals and (i) privates are serving in the British Army (i) in total and (ii) serving in Afghanistan; and how many army personnel of each rank are on each pay scale level (A) in total and (B) in Afghanistan.

Mark Francois: The information relating to the total number of Army personnel at the specified rank and in each pay scale will be placed in the Library of the House.
	Although the number of military posts established in Afghanistan has been reduced to 9,000, the precise number of personnel in Afghanistan fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of reasons. This will include mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors. We do not, therefore, publish actual figures for personnel deployed.

Armed Forces

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) flight lieutenants, (b) pilot officers, (c) flying officers, (d) chief technicians, (e) sergeants, (f) corporals, (g) junior technicians, (h) senior aircraftmen and (i) aircraftmen are serving in the Royal Air Force (i) in total and (ii) serving in Afghanistan; and how many air force personnel of each rank are on each pay scale level (A) in total and (B) in Afghanistan.

Mark Francois: A copy of the information requested for total RAF personnel numbers will be placed in the Library of the House.
	Although the number of military posts established in Afghanistan has been reduced to 9,000, the precise number of personnel in Afghanistan fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of reasons. This will include mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors. We do not, therefore, publish actual figures for personnel deployed.

Armed Forces: Disciplinary Proceedings

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of HM armed forces sentenced for detention at the Military Corrective Training Centre were (a) returned to their units to continue their sentence and (b) dismissed from the service in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mark Francois: The Military Corrective and Training Centre is a tri-service detention facility, not a prison, under Army command for armed forces personnel and, occasionally, civilians who are subject to service law. It holds male and female detainees who have been sentenced at summary hearing by their commanding officer or at court martial for a period of detention of between 14 days and two years. The centre is also capable of holding persons in safe custody on remand or pending their discharge to serve a period of imprisonment in a civil prison.
	The numbers of individuals returned to their units or discharged over the last five years are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Discharge Returned to unit 
			 2011-12 390 410 
			 2010-11 470 490 
			 2009-10 440 560 
			 2008-09 340 650 
			 2007-08 250 650 
			 Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Armed Forces: Disciplinary Proceedings

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on returning to their units members of HM armed forces sentenced for detention at the Military Corrective Training Centre; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: There is no specified policy on returning armed forces personnel who serve a period of detention at the Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) to their units. Each individual is dealt with on a case by case basis. In general however, those personnel who are being retained in service on completion of their sentence will be returned to their own unit but in cases where the nature of the offence or some other factor makes this inappropriate, they will be sent to another unit. For those personnel who are not being retained, either because they are to be dismissed as part of their sentence, or their Commanding Officer has been given authority to administratively discharge them, they will be discharged as soon as practicable on completion of their sentence. That may be directly from MCTC or if there are outstanding administrative matters at their unit, they may be returned there to be discharged.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people from the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force have been given redundancy notice within one year of their immediate pension point since May 2010.

Mark Francois: holding answer 20 December 2012
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 4 July 2012, Official Report, column 679W, to the hon. Member for Colchester (Sir Bob Russell). Because of the complexity of pensions calculations, the exact number of non-applicant service personnel who fall into this category would require a manual analysis of the records of those selected for redundancy, which could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost. However we now estimate that for tranches 1 and 2 the figure is below 70, rather than the previously estimated 80.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many members of HM armed forces sentenced for detention at the Military Corrective Training Centre have been selected for compulsory redundancy (a) while undergoing their sentence and (b) while having been returned to their unit to continue their sentence in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what guidance his Department gives to those selecting armed forces personnel for compulsory redundancy on references in service records to having served a sentence at the Military Corrective Training Centre; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: Departmental records indicate that no service person undergoing sentence at the Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) was selected for compulsory redundancy while undergoing sentence in the last 12 months. Service personnel are not returned to their unit before completion of their sentence so none were selected for redundancy in this category either.
	The guidance given to the single services when selecting personnel for redundancy was that discipline records could form a part of the selection process for redundancy. References to having served a sentence at the MCTC would not, in themselves, determine a redundancy selection decision.

Employment Agencies

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total spending on recruitment agencies by his Department was in each month from July to December 2012.

Mark Francois: External recruitment to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for grades below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) is carried out by Defence Business Services Civilian HR. Where external recruitment for SCS posts is required, recruitment agencies may be asked to carry out an initial search for suitable candidates. In the months in question, the MOD spent the following amounts on recruitment agency fees as well as the associated costs for advertising and assessment in connection with SCS level recruitment:
	
		
			  £ 
			 July 2012 57,217 
			 August 2012 93,256 
			 September 2012 6,462 
			 October 2012 27,152 
			 November 2012 26,988 
			 December 2012 19,390 
		
	
	All figures are inclusive of VAT.

HMS Vigilant

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what representations he has received from the Welsh Government in respect of his Department's assessment of the casualty rate in West Wales consequent on any Trident-related accident in Milford Haven;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the casualty rates in West Wales consequent on any Trident-related accident in Milford Haven.

Mark Francois: I am not aware of any assessment having been made by the Ministry of Defence of the potential effect on casualty rates in West Wales consequent on any Trident-related accident in Milford Haven nor of any representation having been received from the Welsh Government in respect of such an assessment.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes there have been to the originally planned methods of mid-air refuelling the F35-B; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Murrison: There have been no changes in the method of mid-air refuelling planned for use by the UK on the F35-B. The F35-B is fitted with an integral air-to-air refuelling probe and will conduct airborne refuelling in the same way as existing UK combat aircraft from suitably equipped air refuelling aircraft.

Lost Property

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the total value of loss was from (a) COD Donnington, (b) COD Bicester, (c) HMNB Clyde, (d) HMNB Portsmouth, (e) ACIO Colchester and (f) HMNB Devonport in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the total value was of items classified as trivial losses at (a) COD Donnington, (b) COD Bicester, (c) HMNB Clyde, (d) HMNB Portsmouth, (e) ACIO Colchester and (f) HMNB Devonport in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Murrison: This information is not held centrally and will take time to collate. A letter will be sent to the hon. Member as soon as this task has been completed.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 619W, on Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency, what the investigation responsibilities of the Royal Military Police are; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The service police (the Royal Military Police in respect of the Army, the Royal Navy Police and the Royal Air Force Police) are responsible for conducting independent and effective investigations in order to establish the facts surrounding an allegation and determine if a service offence has been committed. Service offences include criminal or non-criminal conduct offences, as outlined in the Armed Forces Act 2006.
	If the service police believe there is sufficient evidence to charge a person with a service offence, they must refer the case to a commanding officer or, for more serious matters, the independent Service Prosecuting Authority. It is their role to determine what charges, if any, should be brought

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which events at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were attended by each Minister in his Department using tickets or passes for which they did not pay personally; and what the cost was of attending each such event for members of the public who used comparable seats or had comparable access.

Mark Francois: The Government pledged to publish these details following the Olympic and Paralympic Games and will do so shortly.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by his Department to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Murrison: The monetary value of Ministry of Defence (MOD) consultancy contracts awarded since April 2010 is shown in the following table. Contracts awarded by MOD agencies and trading funds are included in this figure, but contracts awarded under the Framework Agreement for Technical Support and those classified by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation as principal service providers are excluded; these contracts are not defined as consultancy services.
	The monetary value of contracts awarded to IT companies in a given financial year could be provided only at disproportionate cost. MOD central contract records do not distinguish between IT and telecommunications services.
	
		
			 Value of consultancy contracts awarded 
			 Financial year Value of consultancy contracts awarded (£ million) 
			 2010-11 14 
			 2011-12 8

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many procurement officers are currently employed by his Department;
	(2)  how many civil servants in his Department regularly deal with procurement services;
	(3)  how many procurement officers in his Department have relevant procurement qualifications.

Andrew Murrison: Ministry of Defence (MOD) procurement activity ranges from the purchase of low value consumable items through to complex equipment acquisition and support. Information on the number of military and civilian personnel in the MOD that are involved in some form of procurement activity is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The MOD currently has around 1,200 staff in the commercial function whose specific role is to manage negotiations and contracts with suppliers, although this is undertaken as part of wider multidisciplinary teams that include other specialists in areas such as project management, engineering, finance and logistics.
	Commercial staff must demonstrate the necessary levels of functional competence and experience to be licensed and receive a formal commercial delegation. In addition, the MOD is running a commercial skills programme to supplement this with externally recognised, formal qualifications. Some 47% of MOD commercial staff currently hold qualifications at various professional levels of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. This figure is anticipated to rise to 60% by April 2013 and to around 75% by 2015.

Redundancy

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many civil service posts have been made redundant by his Department in each year since 1999; and what has been the cost of redundancies in each such year;
	(2)  how many posts have been declared redundant by each of his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1999; and what has been the cost of those redundancies in each such year.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence does not make posts or positions redundant. The number of civil servants made redundant in the MOD, including those from executive agencies, since 1999 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Headcount 
			  Compulsory/voluntary redundancy 
			 Financial year MOD Main Trading Funds Total 
			 1999-2000 1,520 (1)— 1,530 
			 2000-01 1,080 70 1,150 
			 2001-02 540 260 800 
			 2002-03 350 320 670 
			 2003-04 880 640 1,510 
			 2004-05 560 280 840 
			 2005-06 610 570 1,180 
			 2006-07 1,190 460 1,660 
			 2007-08 2,110 100 2,220 
			 2008-09 1,080 140 1,220 
			 2009-10 610 150 760 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 330 170 500 
			 2011-12 6,010 550 6,560 
			 2012-13 to 30 September 2012 2,300 (1)— 2,310 
			 Grand total 19,170 3,720 22,890 
			 (1) Denotes 0 or numbers of 1 to 5 which have been rounded to 0. Notes: 1. Headcount is a measure of the size of the work force that counts all people equally regardless of their hours of work. 2. The figures above relate to permanent and casual MOD Main and Trading Fund personnel only. Excluded are all Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and locally engaged civilian (LEC) personnel. 3.Where rounding has been used, totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in ‘5’ have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 
		
	
	When a civil service role ends this does not necessarily result in the offer of a paid exit. The individual occupying the post will normally be redeployed to another role.
	The costs for all forms of exit over the whole period in question are not available in the form requested. The costs against the relevant compensation schemes for the last three years, covering both service and civilian personnel (including those from executive agencies), are published in the Departmental Annual Report and Accounts as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 All exits 53.4 26.3 269.4 
			 Compulsory redundancy only 0 0 1.3 
		
	
	Staff of non-departmental public bodies are not directly employed by the MOD and the information requested is not held centrally.

Redundancy Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total amount of redundancy pay paid to civil servants in his Department was in each month from July to December 2012.

Mark Francois: The arrangements governing the payment of compensation to the vast majority of Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servants are laid down in the rules of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. Such compensation is paid to those who leave on voluntary exit and on redundancy, whether voluntary or compulsory. The MOD's aim is, so far as possible, to make workforce reductions on a voluntary basis and to use compulsory redundancy only where voluntary means fail. During the months of July to November 2012, a total of 2,212 civil servants left the MOD with compensation payments under the current early release scheme. The total monthly costs of compensation are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Compensation 
			  £ million 
			 July 2012 45.32 
			 August 2012 0.41 
			 September 2012 0.92 
			 October 2012 21.84 
			 November 2012 0.25 
		
	
	The figures for December 2012 are not yet available.

Temporary Employment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what amount his Department spent on interim staff as defined by the National Audit Office in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The following figures include the salary payments to civilian casual employees who are temporarily recruited under civil service recruitment procedures and contracted payments for civilian manpower substitutes who are temporarily appointed through recruitment agencies.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Financial year Amount spent on civilian casual staff Amount spent on contracted civilian manpower substitutes (inc VAT) 
			 2008-09 14,590,266 8,602,500 
			 2009-10 11,389,964 30,379,683 
			 2010-11 6,484,253 22,525,073 
			 2011-12 4,113,391 16,875,969 
			 Total 36,577,874 78,383,225 
		
	
	The 2009-10 figure for manpower substitution is higher because new contracts were let in 2008, 2009 and 2010 so that a greater variety of manpower could be recruited via contract rather than by local arrangements in order to reduce costs.

SCOTLAND

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which events at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were attended by each Minister in his Department using tickets or passes for which they did not pay personally; and what the cost was of attending each such event for members of the public who used comparable seats or had comparable access.

David Mundell: The Government pledged to publish these details following the Olympic and Paralympic Games and will do so shortly.

Overseas Trade

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on steps to promote the export of Scottish produce overseas.

David Mundell: This Government is committed to supporting UK business and products, including from Scotland, around the world. The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), is in regular and frequent contact with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), on matters relating to the promotion of Scottish exports.
	In order to focus specifically on support for Scottish exports, the Secretary of State also appointed Brian Wilson to undertake a review, involving BIS and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), of the support provided by the UK and Scottish Governments for Scottish exporters.

Redundancy

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Civil Service posts have been made redundant by his Department in each year since 1999; and what the cost of redundancies has been in each such year.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly and consequently has incurred no costs in respect of redundancies during this period. All staff that join the Office do so on an assignment, secondment or loan agreement from other Government bodies but principally from the Scottish Government or the Ministry of Justice.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which events at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were attended by each Minister in her Department using tickets or passes for which they did not pay personally; and what the cost was of attending each such event for members of the public who used comparable seats or had comparable access.

Theresa Villiers: The Government pledged to publish these details following the Olympic and Paralympic Games and will do so shortly.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by her Department to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The monetary value of contracts awarded by my Department to management consultants was as follows:
	2010-11: Nil
	2011-12: £12,196 (excluding VAT)
	My Department did not award any contracts to IT companies in 2010-11 or 2011-12.

HEALTH

Care Homes

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the availability of residential care home places in (a) Birmingham, (b) the west midlands and (c) England.

Norman Lamb: We are informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that it does not hold information on the number of residential care home places, as this does not relate to the information it collects as part of its registration activity.
	The CQC registers care and nursing homes under the regulated activity “accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care”. The CQC registers all homes against this regulated activity, but will place a condition on registration if a home does not provide nursing care.
	As such, the CQC refers to care homes that are registered to provide nursing care—these are “care homes with nursing”, and those that are not—these are “care homes without nursing”. In practice, if a care home is not registered to provide nursing care, the service is likely to be residential. However, some services that are registered to provide nursing care may also provide residential accommodation.
	The following table shows the total numbers of registered places in care homes in Birmingham, the west midlands and England.
	
		
			 Area Total registered care home places Places in homes not registered to provide nursing care 
			 Birmingham 6,880 3,605 
			 West midlands 46,598 24,244 
			 England 463,368 245,523 
			 Source: CQC database, 5 December 2012

Employment Agencies

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total spending on recruitment agencies by his Department was in each month from July to December 2012.

Daniel Poulter: The following table sets out information from the Department's central procurement system on core departmental spend on recruitment agencies from July to December 2012.
	
		
			  2012  
			 Supplier name July August September October November December Grand total 
			 Badenoch and Clark Ltd 21,519 16,179 20,436 16,414 14,170 7,307 96,025 
			 Brook Street UK Ltd 2,130 2,102 1,438 1,553 2,285 2,501 12,009 
			 Capita Resourcing Ltd 828,807 1,374,388 1,191,617 1,292,589 1,279,043 1,003,804 6,970,248 
			 Elan Computing — — -6,519 — — — -6,519 
			 Hays Specialist Recruitment Ltd 343,178 379,522 363,262 475,155 535,895 284,946 2,381,958 
			 Kelly Services UK Ltd 7,384 3,736 4,238 15,784 5,874 5,280 42,296 
			 Northgate HR Ltd — — — — 13 11040 11,053 
			 Northgate UK Ltd 184,630 108,573 104,932 122,207 116,709 78,454 715,505 
			 Office Angels Ltd 14,442 2,229 2,348 2,705 2,372 1,766 25,862 
			 Parity Resources Ltd 2,813 41,683 4,688 — 4,740 4,875 58,799 
			 Randstad Interim Executives 17,225 — — — — — 17,225 
			 Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd 34,699 76,269 38,749 49,204 39,175 38,433 276,529 
			 Sand Resources Ltd — — 4,843 — — — 4,843 
			 Tate 22,676 24,519 25,171 7,413 46,856 11,291 137,926 
			 Venn Group Ltd — — — — — 6,258 — 
			 Grand total 1,479,503 2,029,200 1,755,203 1,983,024 2,047,132 1,455,955 10,750,017 
		
	
	The following table sets out information on Connecting for Health spend on recruitment agencies from July to December 2012.
	
		
			  2012  
			 Supplier name July August September October November December Grand total 
			 Michael Page International 0 0 1,396 0 0 2,850 4,246

Health: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of trends in children's life satisfaction in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the reasons for recent trends in life satisfaction for girls aged 11 to 15.

Daniel Poulter: The Department contributes to the World Health Organisation Health Behaviour of School aged Children Study which provides three sets of data on life satisfaction from 2001-02 to 2009-10. Data on children's life satisfaction is not available prior to 2001. The prevalence of high life satisfaction scores (those reporting six or more on a scale of 1-10) has been high in each wave: 85% in 2001-02; 85% in 2005-06; and 83% in 2009-10.
	The prevalence of high life satisfaction scores among boys was 86.6% in 2001-02 and 88.4% in 2009-10. Among girls, high life satisfaction was 80% in 2001-02 and 82% in 2009-10. There has been little change in the prevalence of high life satisfaction scores in young people from 2001-02 to 2009-10. The prevalence of high life satisfaction scores is higher for boys than girls at ages 11, 13 and 15 and at each survey time point.
	Life satisfaction is relatively new concept and a complex issue; there are many factors that influence it and there is a two-way relationship between drivers of life satisfaction and outcomes of life satisfaction. Government is currently funding research to help further understand trends in life satisfaction.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for an operation in (a) Liverpool, (b) the North West and (c) England was in each of the last five years.

Anna Soubry: The information is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times 
			 Average (median) time waited (in weeks) for patients that started admitted treatment during the month (admitted adjusted RTT pathways) 
			  October each year 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Liverpool Primary Care Trust n/a 7.2 5.9 6.5 5.3 6.5 
			 North West n/a 7.9 7.8 8.7 8.8 8.6 
			 England n/a 8.2 8.1 8.7 8.4 8.6 
			 Note: October waiting times are extracted from monthly series, for comparison with latest. Admitted pathways are those completed in the month. Source: Department of Health Referral to Treatment Waiting times return. Data have been collected since August 2007, with adjusted admitted pathways from March 2008.

NHS Commissioning Board

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to the review by the NHS Commissioning Board into its approach to allocations, if he will publish the terms of reference of the review; who will be consulted as part of the review; and if he will publish the review when it is completed;
	(2)  with reference to the review by the NHS Commissioning Board into its approach to allocations, which allocations will be included in the review; and what the amounts being allocated are in each case.

Anna Soubry: The NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) is responsible for the scope and governance of its review into its approach to allocations. The NHS CB advises that plans are at an early stage for scoping the review and detailing its approach. Terms of reference, consultation, engagement and publication plans are still under consideration.

NHS: Pay

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effect on health trusts and their ability to employ staff of the introduction of regional pay; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Government announced in the autumn statement last year that there should be no new centrally determined local pay rates or zones.

Nurses

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were employed in (a) England and (b) Liverpool primary care trust in each of the last four years.

Daniel Poulter: The annual workforce census, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, shows the number of staff employed by the national health service in England at 30 September each year. The latest available data is for September 2011. The numbers of qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed in England and Liverpool primary care trust from 2008 to 2011 are shown in the following table. Qualified nurses are not identified separately.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in England, the North West Strategic Health Authority area and each specified organisation as at 30 September each year 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			   2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 England  299,917 306,887 309,139 306,346 
			 O f which :      
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area  47,726 48,675 48,781 47,444 
			 O f which :      
			 Liverpool PCT 5NL 870 907 848 15 
			 Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust RY1 n/a n/a n/a 807 
			 Notes:1. As a consequence of TCS (Transforming Community Services), in 2011 the provider arm of Liverpool PCT (5NL) merged into Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust (RY1). 2. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Nurses: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered nurses there were at each acute hospital trust in London in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The following table shows the numbers of qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed by each acute trust in the London strategic health authority (SHA) area as at 30 September in each of the specified years.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in Acute Trusts in the London Strategic Health Authority area by organisation as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Full time equivalent 
			  2010 2011 
			 England 309,139 306,346 
			    
			 London 51,785 51,839 
			    
		
	
	
		
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 1,638 1,866 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 1,301 1,313 
			 Barts and the London NHS Trust 2,435 2,531 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1,050 1,040 
			 Croydon Health Services NHS Trust 941 920 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 524 1,059 
			 Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 1,268 1,322 
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Foundation Trust 1,092 1,061 
			 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 3,026 3,543 
			 Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 746 753 
			 Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 746 1,012 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 3,206 3,229 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 2,154 2,263 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 764 729 
			 Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust 802 955 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 320 350 
			 Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 750 753 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 720 730 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 1,501 1,489 
			 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust 1,027 1,079 
			 Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust 1,547 1,560 
			 Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust 735 743 
			 Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 338 351 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust 1,809 1,809 
			 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust 2,287 2,319 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2,123 2,202 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 698 638 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 1,141 1,162 
			 Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 783 1,199 
			 Notes: 1. Full time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. London SHA area totals include PCTs, Ambulance Trusts and Mental Health Trusts. 3. As a consequence of TCS (Transforming Community Services) the former provider arm of some PCTs may have transferred into local acute trusts, this can be seen in the large increase in staff numbers at Ealing Hospital NHS Trust for example. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census

Nurses: Job Satisfaction

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve morale amongst members of the nursing profession.

Daniel Poulter: The Government recognises the important contribution of nurses, not just in the new roles they have taken on but also in the fundamental aspects of care. Modern nursing is shaped by the needs of patients and clients and encompasses a wide range of new and advanced roles.
	There has been much investment in the nursing workforce over the last decade. New roles and nurse led services have been introduced alongside better career opportunities, improvements in pay through Agenda for Change and greater professional freedom to practise, for example by extending prescribing.
	It is imperative that strong clinical leadership paves the way in empowering nurses to be able to spend more time on providing high quality care. The NHS Mandate makes it clear that quality of care is as important as quality of treatment. Nursing leaders must ensure that their teams are focused on delivering person-centred, intelligent and compassionate care where the patient's fundamental requirements for daily living have the priority they deserve. Nurses are absolutely at the centre of leading the delivery of high-quality care and their leadership role is going to become increasingly important in the national health service of the future.
	As recently announced by the Prime Minister, the Government continues its commitment to improve the quality of nursing care and support initiatives, such as the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement's 'Time to Care', which will remove the workload generated by some non-essential and unnecessary activities, so that nurses can be released and motivated to focus on providing the care patients and relatives expected.
	Finally, recognising the changing landscape of the health care sector, a new vision and strategy has been published that articulates the nursing profession's role in delivering health care and improved health outcomes today and tomorrow. Produced by Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer for England, and Viv Bennett, Department's Director of Nursing, the vision is based around six core values (Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, Commitment). Acting on these will enable the nursing profession to focus on quality and help to identify the nursing, midwifery and care givers' contribution to health outcomes, build public confidence and promote these opportunities as highly valued careers.

Parasitic Diseases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of toxocariasis have been identified in England and Wales in the last 30 years.

Anna Soubry: Routine laboratory data submitted to the Health Protection Agency indicate that between 1980 and 2009, 641 toxocara infections were identified. A further 184 cases were identified from enhanced laboratory data from the Parasitology Reference Laboratory for the period 2000-09. It is possible that a small number of cases may be double counted. Regional data are available for 635 of the 641 cases of the 30 year routine laboratory dataset. 270/635 (42.5%) cases were in Wales. No one English region had more than 11% of the English cases.

Plastic Surgery

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 852-3W, on plastic surgery, what assessment he has made of the increase in the number of cosmetic surgery operations between 2003 and 2011.

Daniel Poulter: The data provided in the answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, columns 852-53W, showed a 300% increase in the total number of cosmetic surgery procedures carried out by members of the British Association for Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) between 2003 and 2011, from 10,738 to 43,069 respectively. Not all cosmetic surgery that takes place in the United Kingdom is carried out by BAAPS members.
	The former Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), asked Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS medical director, to review the regulation of cosmetic interventions. The review is expected to report by the end of March 2013.

Radiotherapy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the potential cost of extending access to radiotherapy treatment to ensure that all cancer patients would be within 45 minutes travel from such treatment as advised by the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group.

Anna Soubry: We have made no estimate of the potential cost of extending access to radiotherapy treatment to ensure that all cancer patients would be within 45 minutes travel from such treatment as advised by the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group (NRAG).
	The NRAG report “Radiotherapy: developing a world class service for England”, published in 2007, provided clear guidance to support commissioners in the provision of radiotherapy services. It recommended that, where possible, patients should not travel more than 45 minutes for radiotherapy treatment. The report recognised that the majority of patients were already able to access radiotherapy within the 45 minute travel time. It also said that the location of new centres should be a matter for local determination, which would depend on a number of factors, including that there be a sufficient workload to make them viable to run.

Streptococcus

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what comparative assessment he has made of the outcomes of routine and ad hoc detection of group B streptococcus in pregnant women;
	(2)  what information his Department holds on rates and trends in cases of group B streptococcus in new born babies in the UK compared with (a) the US, (b) Argentina, (c) France, (d) Kenya and (e) Slovenia since the introduction of the risk-based prevention strategy in 2003;
	(3)  what estimate was made of the (a) likely numbers of cases and (b) potential benefits of the risk-based strategy for screening pregnant women for group B streptococcus at the time of that strategy's introduction; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many newborn babies suffered death or disability due to group B streptococcus in the last year for which figures are available;
	(5)  what evidence the National Screening Committee used to support its decision not to introduce routine screening for group B streptococcus carriage in pregnant women;
	(6)  what assessment he has made of the reasons for the continued rise in reported cases of group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies;
	(7)  what target his Department has set for reducing group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies;
	(8)  what steps he plans to take to reduce group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies;
	(9)  what were the three most common causes of life-threatening infection in newborn babies in each of the last five years;
	(10)  what analysis has been conducted of the comparative (a) cost and (b) effects of (i) providing routine intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis to all women without screening, (ii) the current risk-based strategy and (iii) screening of all pregnant women as strategies for reducing cases of group B streptococcus in newborn babies.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what evidential basis was used by the UK National Screening Council when deciding to reject routine screening for the carriage of Group B Streptococcus in pregnant women;
	(2)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the rise in reported cases of Group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies;
	(3)  what target his Department has set for the reduction of Group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies;
	(4)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce incidences of Group B streptococcus infection in newborn babies.

Daniel Poulter: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the national health service in all four United Kingdom countries about all aspects of screening policy, including screening policy for group B streptococcus (GBS) carriage in pregnancy. On 13 November 2012 the UK NSC recommended that a national screening programme to test for GBS carriage in pregnancy using the enriched culture medium test should not be offered. This is because there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the benefits to be gained from screening all pregnant women and treating those carrying the organism with intravenous antibiotics during labour would outweigh the harms. A copy of the UK NSC's review, ‘Screening for Group B Streptococcal infection in pregnancy’ has been placed in the Library. A copy of the evidence assessed by the UK NSC is referenced in the screening review.
	No assessment has been made by the Department of trends in early onset disease rates although the latest figures show a drop in disease rates between 2010 and 2011. Laboratories across England, Wales and Northern Ireland submit data to the Health Protection Agency on GBS infection. Submission of data is voluntary, therefore completeness of reporting has varied over time and across different parts of the country.
	The Department does not hold data on GBS infection in other countries and therefore no comparison has been made with the United States of America, Argentina, France, Kenya or Slovenia.
	No target has been set by the Department on GBS infection in newborn babies but we are clear about the importance of taking the right steps to prevent GBS infection at the start of life.
	The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) published its updated guidelines on prevention of GBS on incidence of GBS infection in neonates in July 2012. The updated guideline took into account new evidence on the prevention of early-onset neonatal GBS disease. It is important that services undertake local clinical audits to ensure the effective use of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis recommended by the guideline.
	In 2012 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published two clinical audit tools which include clinical audit standards, a data collection form and an action plan template for use by services that care for women in labour or for babies at risk of, or being treated for, early on-set neonatal infection.
	The Department aims to work together with the NHS, the RCOG, the Royal College of Midwives, the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment and the pharmaceutical industry on a number of areas:
	the topic of a “point of care” test so that high-risk women can be tested at the start of labour is currently in the Health Technology Assessment prioritisation process and will be worked up for discussion in terms of relative importance, feasibility and noting any other existing and on going research;
	development of an implementation tool for use locally to audit current practice and improve implementation of the revised RCOG guideline on the prevention of early-onset neonatal GBS disease;
	including GBS as a topic within education and continuing professional development programmes for clinicians and midwives; and
	monitoring developments on vaccines against GBS infection.
	The Department has not made a comparative assessment on outcomes of routine and ad hoc detection of GBS in pregnant women.
	Data on how many newborn babies suffered death or disability due to GBS infection in the last year and data on the three most common causes of life-threatening infection in newborn babies in each of the last five years is not routinely available.
	A National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment study: “Kaambwa B, Bryan S, Gray 3, Milner P, Daniels J, Khan K, Roberts T. Cost-effectiveness of rapid tests and other existing strategies for screening and management of early-onset group B streptococcus during labour. BJOG. 2010;117:1616-1627” which has already been placed in the Library, concluded that the most cost-effective strategy was shown to be the provision of routine intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis to all women without prior screening, but, given broader concerns relating to antibiotic use, this was unlikely to be acceptable. The study concluded that screening at 35 to 37 weeks was more cost effective than the 2003 risk factor approach as long as all women delivering prematurely were treated with antibiotics in labour and the cost of the test did not rise by a small amount above the estimate used in the study's model. The 2003 risk factor approach became the more cost effective approach if either of these two provisos were not met.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Servants: Job Satisfaction

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to improve morale amongst civil servants.

Francis Maude: Civil servants are often frustrated by a culture that can seem slow-moving and hierarchical. That is why we are reforming the civil service to do things faster, be smaller and provide more services online. We are ensuring that civil servants have the right skills for tomorrow's world and are focusing on performance management, so the best civil servants have proper recognition and under-performers are identified and helped to improve. We are also improving workplaces and IT to make it easier for civil servants to do their job. By making the civil service more open and less bureaucratic and trusting civil servants to get on and get things done, we will ensure that the civil service is a better place to work.

Civil Service: Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the announcement by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 7 January 2013 on a Fast Track Apprenticeship Scheme for the Civil Service, what the qualification level will be of the apprenticeship places created; how many apprenticeships will be available in each Government Department; what the apprenticeship framework of the planned placements will be; and whether any of the planned apprenticeships will be delivered in Government locations other than central Departments.

Francis Maude: The Government has launched the Fast Track Apprenticeship Scheme for the Civil Service, a two-year long development programme targeted at talented school leavers who are looking for an alternative to higher education. Recruitment to the programme will begin in April 2013 with the first cohort starting in September 2013. Our aim is to increase the total places available across Government to 500 a year over the medium term.

Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department paid to Deloitte for consultancy services in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Francis Maude: Annual expenditure by the Cabinet Office on consultancy has fallen dramatically since the 2010 general election to around a third of 2009-10 spending. Cabinet Office payments to Deloitte for consultancy services were £1,741,450 in 2009-10 and £729,322 in 2010-11. There are no records of payments in 2011-12 or in 2012-13 to date.
	As part of my Department's transparency programme, details of any contract for consultancy where the estimated value of the contract exceeds £20,000 must obtain my ministerial approval. Details of these expenditure approvals for consultancy controls are published on the departmental website and on data.gov.uk.
	Additionally, all new contracts over the value of £10,000 and payments of over £25,000 are published on Contracts Finder:
	https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

Unemployment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people of working age have experienced a period of unemployment (a) once, (b) twice, (c) three times and (d) more than three times in the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking, how many and what proportion of people of working age have experienced a period of unemployment (a) once, (b) twice, (c) three times and (d) more than three times in the last five years. (136263)
	ONS compiles unemployment statistics following International Labour Organisation definitions from the Labour Force Survey. However, information on the number of periods of unemployment is not collected.
	As an alternative the table shows the number people who have claimed Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) in the UK between November 2007 and November 2012 for one, two, three or four or more separate periods of claim. These estimates are compiled from ONS' JSA cohort which is a 5% sample of all claimants of JSA over time.
	
		
			 Number and percentage of people aged 16 to 64 who claimed jobseeker's allowance between November 2007 and November 2012 by number of separate periods of claim 
			 United Kingdom 
			 Number of claims Number Percentage (1) 
			 1 4,189,260 10.4 
			 2 1,807,940 4.5 
			 3 925,520 2.3 
			 4 or more 1,436,900 3.6 
			 (1) Number of claimants divided by ONS' mid-year 2010 population estimate of people aged from 16 to 64. Source: Jobseeker's Allowance 5% cohort

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing: East Sussex

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much affordable housing has been built in (a) Hastings and Rye constituency and (b) East Sussex in each of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: Information about affordable housing by constituency is not held centrally. Statistics on additional affordable housing provided in each local authority area are published in the Department's live tables 1006, 1007 and 1008, which are available at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply
	These figures include both newly built housing, which accounts for around 85% of additional affordable housing over the last five years, and acquisitions from the private sector.

Catering

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs his Department incurred in respect of staff canteens since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: The Department for Communities and Local Government has a staff canteen at its headquarters, Eland House. The facility is a non-subsidised, directly-operated outlet by the Department's facilities management supplier.
	DCLG has held a ‘Nil subsidy’ policy for the Eland House staff canteen since May 2010 and the facility has been run at no cost to the Department.

Civic Dignitaries

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the employment status of (a) councillors and (b) elected mayors.

Brandon Lewis: Neither councillors nor elected mayors are employees, rather they hold elected office.
	As I indicated in my written statement of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 105WS, the broad policy of this Government is different from the last Administration, which introduced pensions for councillors.
	We believe that councillors should not become employees of the council dependent on the municipal payroll. Robust local scrutiny and local democracy is assisted by councillors being substantively independent of means and of thought from the body they are overseeing.
	The best thing we can do to encourage more people to take part in municipal public life is to decentralise more power to local communities so being a councillor is an even more meaningful and rewarding role.

Councillors: Pensions

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration he has given to the consequences of the decision of O'Brien v Ministry of Justice in the Supreme Court on his plans to deny councillors access to the Local Government Pension Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: O'Brien v. Ministry of Justice concerned the employment of part-time judges and has no bearing on councillors.

Drinking Water

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs his Department has incurred in providing bottled water and water coolers since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: The Department does not purchase mineral water or external water cooler bottles for meetings.
	We provide tap water, utilising re-usable bottles at no direct cost, which protects both the environment and taxpayers' money.

Housing: Crime Prevention

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the continued support for the secure by design standards.

Don Foster: The Government has recently launched a fundamental review of housing standards to establish how the current over complex regime of national and local standards can be simplified to support growth. Domestic security standards are within scope of the review. Further information is available from my Department's website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/independent-panel-to-help-government-cut-housebuilding-red-tape-and-boost-growth

Housing: Fire Extinguishers

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what proportion of new sheltered accommodation built by registered social landlords and local authorities were designed with fire sprinklers in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  if he will estimate the proportion of new homes built by registered social landlords and local authorities that included fire sprinklers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Don Foster: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost

Land Use

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Government spent on making contaminated land fit for development for (a) housing and (b) all other purposes in each of the last six years.

Nicholas Boles: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Homes and Communities Agency has informed us it does not hold separate records of funding for the remediation of contaminated land used for housing. All projects relating to land/housing would need to be checked to identify whether there was any remediation required and whether that related to supporting housing as an end use and then relevant costs relating to remediation identified (including associated planning, legal, design, etc. costs).

Local Government Finance

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department contributed to his Department's sensible savings ideas referred to in point 50 of his Department's publication 50 Ways to Save: Examples of Sensible Savings in Local Government.

Brandon Lewis: Yes; the publication was discussed with and approved by Ministers. My Department has also previously invited staff to come up with ideas on savings, many of which have been implemented to help reduce our running costs and save taxpayers' money.

Local Government Finance

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs were incurred by his Department in producing and publishing his Department's 50 Ways to Save: Examples of Sensible Savings in Local Government.

Brandon Lewis: The Department's ‘50 Ways to Save: Examples of sensible savings in Local Government’ publication was produced in-house and published online as part of the standard order of business. No additional costs were incurred.
	Given the hon. Member has a keen interest in my Department's printing and publishing costs, I would add that we have cut departmental spending on printing and publishing from £4.6 million in 2008-09 and £4.2 million in 2009-10 to £282,839 in 2011-12. This is an example of sensible saving.

Local Government Finance

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the sum which each local authority could save by implementing each item of guidance in his Department's December 2012 publication 50 Ways to Save; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each document relevant to that estimate.

Brandon Lewis: As we explained in the document, the potential savings will vary by local authority depending on local circumstances; however, the guide does show there is significant scope for savings and innovation across local government. The sources are footnoted in the document. I have placed a copy of the document in the Library of the House.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) name, (b) role and (c) salary has been of each of his Department's special advisers since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: Details of the Department's special advisers, and salary costs, are published at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
	The roles and responsibilities of special advisers are set out in the Special Advisers Code of Conduct and Model Contract, published at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-advisers-guidance

Plants

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on potted plants and flowers since May 2010; and what the nature of such expenditure was.

Brandon Lewis: Unlike the last Government, we do not spend taxpayers' money on pot plants or the display of cut flowers.
	The incoming Administration terminated the contract for internal departmental plants in September 2010. This contract had been signed under the last Administration by the (then) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and was costing taxpayers almost £7,000 a year.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the answer of 28 June 2011, Official Report, column 731W, on the Audit Commission's £6,500 flower display bill under the last Administration; this was also terminated in September 2010.

Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many temporary staff have been recruited in his Department in each month from July to December 2012.

Brandon Lewis: In the period 1 July 2012 to 31 December 2012, the Department has recruited 12 temporary agency staff. In answering this question, we have used the Cabinet Office definition for contingent labour (temporary staff) which includes admin and clerical agency staff, interim managers and specialist contractors. The numbers of these by month are as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2012  
			 July 4 
			 August 0 
			 September 0 
			 October 6 
			 November 0 
			 December 2 
		
	
	Six of the above 12 have already left the Department.
	The recruitment of temporary staff is tightly controlled and signed off by Directors General and the Secretary of State only where there is a business critical need for resource. Such agency staff as above are predominantly used for short-term, time-limited projects.
	Additionally, in the interests of transparency the Department is now publishing internal workforce management information for the Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. This includes a breakdown of payroll and non-payroll staffing, as recorded at the end of each calendar month:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/workforce-management

Translation Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on translating documents into English since May 2010; and if he will publish a description of each type of cost.

Brandon Lewis: My Department does not translate publications into English.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received from organisations which provide micro-chipping for dogs and maintain databases of such information.

David Heath: We received responses from companies that maintain databases of microchipped dogs during our recent consultation on our package of proposals to tackle irresponsible dog ownership. We have also received representations from such companies offering assistance with the associated technical issues.

Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the interoperability of dog micro-chipping technology and databases in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: DEFRA officials have met with various interested parties to discuss the technical issues associated with the microchipping of dogs and the keeping of records on different databases.

Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings he has had with representatives of (a) Petlog, (b) Anibase, (c) Avid and (d) Pet Protect on the creation of a central database to store the details of micro-chipped dogs.

David Heath: I have had no specific meetings with representatives of these organisations but my officials have met microchip database providers to discuss technical issues associated with the microchipping of dogs.

EU Law

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2013 and (ii) the next two years; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA introduced the following regulations in 2011 as a result of EU legislation:
	Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2011
	Energy Information Regulations 2011
	The Seed Marketing (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Marketing of Fresh Horticultural Produce (Amendment) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011(1)
	The Environmental Protection (Controls on Ozone-Depleting Substances) Regulations 2011
	The Reporting of Prices of Milk Products (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Wine Regulations 2011(1)
	The Pollution Prevention and Control (Designation of Directives) (England and Wales) Order 2011(1)
	The Animal By-Products (Enforcement) and Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products (Amendment) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2011
	The Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Incidental Flooding and Coastal Erosion (England) Order 2011
	The Agricultural Holdings (Units of Production) (England) Order 2011(1)
	The Bovine Semen (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Poultrymeat (England) Regulations 2011
	The Alien and Locally Absent Species in Aquaculture (England and Wales) Regulations 2011
	The Non-Commercial Movements of Pet Animals Order 2011
	The Rural Development Programme (Transfer and Appeals) (England) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Plant Protection Products Regulations 2011
	The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011
	The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011
	The Plant Protection Products (Fees and Charges) Regulations 2011
	The Poultry Health Scheme (Fees) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Charges for Residues Surveillance (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Eels (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Landfill (Maximum Landfill Amount) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011(1)
	The Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Marine Licensing (Exempted Activities) Order 2011
	The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (Commencement No.5, Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Order 2011(1)
	The Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 2011
	The Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003 (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	DEFRA introduced the following regulations in 2012 as a result of EU legislation:
	The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Amendment) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Agriculture, Animals, Environment and Food etc. (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2012(1)
	The INSPIRE (Amendment) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Veterinary Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Common Agricultural Policy Single Payment and Support Schemes (Amendment) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Uplands Transitional Payment Regulations 2012(1)
	The Zootechnical Standards (England) Regulations 2012
	The Bluetongue (Amendment) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Plant Health (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Seed Marketing (Amendment) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints, Varnishes and Vehicle Refinishing Products Regulations 2012
	The Smoke Control Areas (Authorised Fuels) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Plant Health (Fees) (England) Regulations 2012
	The Quality Standards for Green Bananas (England and Wales) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Agricultural Holdings (Units of Production) (England) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012(1)
	The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (Transitional Provisions) 2012(1)
	The Fishing Boats (Satellite-Tracking Devices and Electronic Reporting) (England) Scheme 2012(1)
	The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Regulations 2012
	The Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012
	The Scallop Fishing (England) Order 2012
	The Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012
	The Plant Health (Forestry) (Amendment) Order 2012(1)
	The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2012
	The Contaminated Land (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) Order 2012(1)
	The Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	The Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) Regulations 2012
	DEFRA does not capture estimated costs to the public purse of new regulations but does capture estimated costs to business. These are set out in individual impact assessments which can be found on the Better Regulation Executive's Impact Assessment Library:
	http://www.ialibrary.bis.gov.uk/links/
	Details of forthcoming Government regulations on business are published every six months in Statements of New Regulation. The most recent statement was published on 17 December and details new regulations expected over the period 1 January to 30 June 2013, including those to be introduced as a result of EU legislation. This Fifth Statement can be found on GOV.UK at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bis-fifth-statement-of-new-regulation-regulations-covering-january-to-june-2013
	(1) There are no associated impact assessments for this legislation because the legislation was not expected to have an impact on business or civil society.

Flood and Water Management Act 2010

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to bring the full provisions of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 into force.

Richard Benyon: The majority of measures are now in force. Plans for implementation of remaining measures by December 2014, in line with DEFRA's Business Plan commitment, are on track subject to parliamentary and cross-Government approval.
	Se ction 33/Schedule 4— Reservoirs
	It is intended that these provisions will be implemented in April 2013, subject to the outcome of consultation exercises held by DEFRA and Welsh Government on the policy and a consultation exercise by the Environment Agency on the definition of a high risk reservoir.
	Section 34 and Schedule 5—Special Administration
	Implementation of these provisions is now expected in the summer of 2013.
	Section 42 ( A greements on new drainage systems)
	DEFRA officials are working with stakeholders to address the issues that arose from the consultation exercise with a view to implementing in the second half of 2013.
	Section 45 (Water and sewerage charges non-owner occupiers)
	The Government is continuing to work with all parties to support the development of the existing voluntary approach, while weighing the costs and benefits associated with regulation for all parties. The consultation completed for these provisions resulted in a divided response.
	Section 32 and Schedule 3 (Sustainable Drainage Systems)
	These provisions are on track for implementation in April 2014. DEFRA officials are working with stakeholders to address the issues that arose from the consultation earlier this year on sustainable drainage systems in new and re-developments. Many respondents called for adequate time to prepare for the implementation.
	Section 15 — Civil  s anctions
	The Government has concluded that it is not necessary at this time to commence section 15, which gives the Environment Agency and lead local flood authorities the power to issue enforcement and penalty notices in the event of non-compliance with a request for information made under section 14 of the Act. Recent experience indicates that those approached are prepared to share requested information voluntarily with the Environment Agency and local flood authorities. DEFRA will keep this under review.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to answer the letter sent to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M. Gutteridge.

David Heath: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), replied to the right hon. Member's letter on 15 December 2012.

Sick Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2012, Official Report, column 454W, on sick leave, if he will make an assessment of the contribution mindfulness-based practice can make to reducing workplace stress and staff absences in his Department.

Richard Benyon: There are no specific plans in core DEFRA to make an assessment of the contribution mindfulness-based practice can make to reducing workplace stress and staff absences.
	Core DEFRA has various policies and procedures in place, under a wider Wellbeing agenda, to promote health and wellbeing and provide assistance to staff in the prevention, recognition and rehabilitation from workplace stress or other work-related absence. Occupational health and employee assistance and support programmes are available to all employees.

Waste Management

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish the outcome of the review of the Site Waste Management Plans Regulations 2008 referred to on page 39 of the Government Review of Waste Policy in England 2011.

Richard Benyon: The review of the Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP) Regulations (2008) referred to in the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England was superseded by the Government's Red Tape Challenge, which ensured that all current legislation was reviewed. The outcome of the Red Tape Challenge was to propose the repeal of the SWMP legislation, which DEFRA is taking forward. Although SWMPs have made a contribution to encouraging waste prevention and recycling in the construction industry, the Government believes that they should be a flexible tool, used where contractors or clients feel they are most appropriate. The landfill tax escalator will continue to reduce waste to landfill.

Waste Management

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage reduction of construction and demolition waste by 2020 he aims to achieve; and by what means such a reduction will be achieved.

Richard Benyon: There is currently no specific target for the reduction of construction and demolition waste by 2020. However, the United Kingdom has committed to achieving recovery rates of at least 70% of construction and demolition waste by 2020.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by the Law Officers' Departments to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: Information on the value of contracts awarded by the Law Officers' Departments during the last two financial years is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Management consultancy IT companies 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 643,478 12,000 — — 
			 Serious Fraud Office(1) 1,557,000 887,000 5,092,000 2,608,000 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department(2) — — 557,000 462,900 
			 (1 )The SFO data covers total spending rather than value of contracts. (2 )TSol data includes costs for the Attorney-General's Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. Awards where the estimated value of the contract was below £10,000 are not included.

Redundancy

Michael Weir: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  how many civil service posts have been made redundant by the Law Officers' Departments in each year since 1999; and what has been the cost of redundancies in each such year;
	(2)  how many posts have been declared redundant in the Law Officers' Departments' executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies by each such body in each year since 1999; and what has been the cost of those redundancies.

Oliver Heald: During the period 1999 to 2012 there were five redundancies declared and made in Attorney-General's Office, Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, and the Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol), at a total cost of £185,788.90. No breakdown by year is given so as to preserve confidentiality.
	In addition the Government Property Lawyers office in Taunton was closed in 1999 and a number of people would have been transferred elsewhere, accepted voluntary exits or made redundant. TSol does not hold information on numbers of staff declared and subsequently made redundant or the costs of such an exercise.
	The following table shows the number and cost of paid early exits from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in each year since April 2005, including redundancy and early retirements. Data prior to that date is no longer held and details about cost are not held prior to 2008. The cost of exits is not given where the number of exits is fewer than five, in order to protect the personal data of the individuals concerned.
	Under the old Civil Service Compensation Scheme, which was replaced in 2011, most individuals under 50 received what was known as early severance terms, while those over 50 took early retirement.
	
		
			  Number of early exits Cost (£ million) 
			 2005-06 1 (1)— 
			 2006-07 2 (1)— 
			 2007-08 2 (1)— 
			 2008-09 16 3.389 
			 2009-10 3 (2)— 
			 2010-11 1 (2)— 
			 2011-12 1 (2)— 
			 (1 )Not held. (2 )Fewer than five exits. 
		
	
	The following table shows the year in which exits took place and payments were made rather than where any accruals have been made. Therefore the information is not directly comparable with what is published in the SFO's annual accounts. It does however include the provision in the accounts to meet ongoing liabilities generated by the agreements. Under the old Civil Service Compensation Scheme, individuals taking early retirement had their pensions paid by their employer until they reached the normal retirement age. This could include a pension made up of up to six and two thirds years for staff over 50. Details of these associated costs are published in the SFO's annual accounts.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has not made any posts redundant since 1999. The CPS has reduced staff headcount from 8,940 at 31 December 2009 to 7,442 at 31 December 2012 through applying robust recruitment controls for vacancies that arise through normal attrition, and in utilising the civil service provision for voluntary early release (VER). The following table shows the number of staff released under VER during this period and the cost.
	
		
			  Number of early exits Cost (£ million) 
			 2009-10 158 9.315 
			 2010-11 126 8.740 
			 2011-12 469 20.711 
			 2012-13(1) 233 11.830 
			 (1 )2012-13 numbers and cost as of 2 January 2013 are provisional.

Temporary Employment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General what amount his Department spent on interim staff as defined by the National Audit Office in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2010-11 2011-12 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 1,620,000 260,000 
			 Serious Fraud Office 3,693,000 2,296,000 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department(1) 2,880,000 3,585,000 
			 Attorney-General's Office 9,000 0 
			 HM Crown Prosecution 32,000 4,000 
			 (1) Total spending on all agency staff.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were issued in the (a) north-east and (b) UK in each year since 2007.

Jeremy Browne: The number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued at all courts in the North East and in England and Wales, in each year between 2007 and 2011 (the latest year for which data are currently available), can be viewed in the following table. ASBOs issued in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive respectively.
	
		
			 Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued (1)  at all courts in the north-east region and England and Wales, as reported to the Ministry of Justice (2)  by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011 
			 ASBOs 
			 Area 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 North-east(3) 122 129 104 95 59 
			 England and Wales 2,299 2,027 1,671 1,664 1,414 
			 (1) Includes ASBOs issued on application by magistrates' courts acting in their civil capacity and county courts, which were introduced under section 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and ASBOs made following conviction for a relevant criminal offence at the Crown court and at magistrates courts (acting in their criminal capacity), which were introduced under the Police Reform Act 2002. (2) Prior to the creation of the Ministry of Justice on 9 May 2007, numbers of ASBOs issued were reported to Home Office by the Court Service. (3) The north-east region is comprised of the Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria Criminal Justice System (CJS) areas. Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Asylum

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of support for asylum seekers in meeting the living needs of children and families.

Mark Harper: I am satisfied that the support available is sufficient to meet the essential living needs of asylum seekers and their children. The package of support includes free accommodation and a weekly cash allowance, the level of which is kept under review.

Communications Data Bill (Draft)

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to paragraph 216 of the Joint Committee on the Draft Communications Data Bill, HC479, what proposals she has to rationalise the structure of commissioners responsible for differing areas of surveillance oversight.

James Brokenshire: The current arrangements for surveillance oversight reflect the distinct roles that each commissioner must perform.
	We considered whether the existing structure should be rationalised and consulted on our proposals in the Justice and Security Green Paper in 2011. In the responses to consultation, there was very little support for the suggested changes.
	We will, as proposed by the Joint Committee, continue to keep this issue under review and are willing to consider alternative models of oversight if likely to improve the system and increase public reassurance.

Cybercrime

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to the economy of cyber crime in the UK in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Detica "Cost of Cyber Crime" report, published in February 2011 in partnership with the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance in the Cabinet Office, estimated the cost of cyber crime to the UK to be as much as £27 billion per annum.
	What is clear is that the costs are high and rising.
	This is why the Government has committed £650 million to the National Cyber Security Programme to support economic prosperity, protect national security and safeguard the public's way of life by building a more trusted and resilient digital environment.

Drugs: Iran

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral counter-narcotics assistance the UK (i) is providing and (ii) plans to provide to Iran in the next financial year; and what the (A) nature and (B) monetary value of this assistance is;
	(2)  what support the UK has provided to the Iranian anti-narcotics police in each financial year since 2000; and what the (a) nature and (b) monetary value of such support has been;
	(3)  what steps the Government has taken in providing financial support to the Iranian anti-narcotics police to ensure that such support does not contribute to efforts by the authorities in that country to impose capital punishment on those arrested for drugs offences.

Jeremy Browne: The UK provides counter narcotics assistance and support to a range of international partners. The UK does not, however, currently provide counter narcotics assistance to Iran and has no plans to do so. The Government last funded multilateral work in Iran in 2007 and bilateral work in 2009. Where support has been provided, it is our policy not to disclose details where it relates to national security and protection of operational information, as to do so may reduce the effectiveness of our work.
	The Government strongly opposes the use of capital punishment in all circumstances, including for drugs offences, and regularly criticises Iran for its use of the death penalty. The Government published Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Guidance in 2011, which provides clear guidance to officials and law enforcement officers to help them identify human rights risks. This ensures that any assistance we provide supports our values and is consistent with our international obligations.

Equality

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of staff in her Department have received training in equality and diversity and the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 in the last three years.

James Brokenshire: According to Home Office staff records, approximately 90% of Home Office staff have received equality and diversity training in the past three years.

Intelligence Services

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK shares intelligence on high-value targets and drug-trafficking organisations with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran via the QUAD forum.

Jeremy Browne: The UK does not share intelligence on high-value targets and drug-trafficking organisations with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran via the QUAD forum.

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which events at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were attended by each Minister in her Department using tickets or passes for which they did not pay personally; and what the cost was of attending each such event for members of the public who used comparable seats or had comparable access.

James Brokenshire: The Government pledged to publish these details following the Olympic and Paralympic Games and will do so shortly.

Police: Capital Investment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much capital was invested in policing in (a) Northumbria Police Authority, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) the UK in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The following table sets out the capital allocations to police authorities/police and crime commissioners from 2010-11 to 2013-14. Central Government funding is not the only source of funding for the police. Approximately a quarter of total funding comes from the police element of council tax (precept).
	
		
			 Capital allocation 2010-11 to 2013-14 
			 £ million 
			 Police authority/PCC 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Avon and Somerset 4.6 2.2 2.6 2.3 
			 Bedfordshire 1.9 0.9 1.1 1.0 
			 Cambridgeshire 2.3 1.1 1.3 1.2 
			 Cheshire 3.0 1.4 1.7 1.5 
			 City of London 1.7 0.8 0.9 0.8 
			 Cleveland 2.4 1.1 1.3 1.2 
			 Cumbria 1.7 0.8 0.9 0.8 
			 Derbyshire 2.9 1.4 1.6 1.4 
			 Devon and Cornwall 5.1 2.4 2.B 2.5 
			 Dorset 1.9 0.9 1.1 1.0 
			 Durham 2.3 1.1 1.3 1.1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1.5 0.7 0.8 0.7 
		
	
	
		
			 Essex 4.3 2.0 2.4 2.2 
			 Gloucestershire 1.7 0.8 1.0 0.9 
			 Greater Manchester 10.6 5.1 6.0 5.4 
			 Gwent 2.1 1.0 1.2 1.0 
			 Hampshire 5.3 2.5 3.0 2.7 
			 Hertfordshire 2.7 1.3 1.5 1.4 
			 Humberside 3.2 1.5 1.8 1.6 
			 Kent 4.9 2.3 2.8 2.5 
			 Lancashire 5.0 2.4 2.8 2.5 
			 Leicestershire 3.1 1.5 1.8 1.6 
			 Lincolnshire 1.8 0.8 1.0 0.9 
			 Merseyside 6.2 3.0 3.5 3.1 
			 Metropolitan 55.6 26.5 31.3 28.1 
			 Norfolk 2.4 1.2 1.4 1.2 
			 North Wales 2.1 1.0 1.2 1.1 
			 North Yorkshire 2.0 0.9 1.1 1.0 
			 Northamptonshire 1.9 0.9 1.1 1.0 
			 Northumbria 5.8 2.8 3.3 2.9 
			 Nottinghamshire 3.4 1.6 1.9 1.7 
			 South Wales 4.5 2.1 2.5 2.3 
			 South Yorkshire 4.9 2.3 2.8 2.5 
			 Staffordshire 3.1 1.5 1.6 1.6 
			 Suffolk 2.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 
			 Surrey 2.8 1.3 1.6 1.4 
			 Sussex 4.1 2.0 2.3 2.1 
			 Thames Valley 6.8 3.2 3.8 3.4 
			 Warwickshire 1.9 . 0.9 1.1 1.0 
			 West Mercia 3.3 1.6 1.9 1.7 
			 West Midlands 11.3 5.4 6.3 5.7 
			 West Yorkshire 8.3 3.9 4.6 4.2 
			 Wiltshire 1.9 0.9 1.0 0.9 
			 Total 210.0 100.0 118.2 106.0 
			 (1 )Indicative Notes: 1. Excludes funding for Air Support and any Special Grant capital. 2. 2010-11 figures are final and include the in-year reductions to police capital allocations. 3. 2011-12 includes £15 million additional allocation of capital to police authorities of at the end of financial year.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many procurement officers are currently employed by her Department;
	(2)  how many procurement officers in her Department have relevant procurement qualifications.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office and its agencies currently employ 15 people under the role ‘procurement officer’ or ‘procurement and contract officer’, 14 of these people hold relevant procurement qualifications.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in her Department regularly deal with procurement services.

James Brokenshire: As of 19 October 2012, the Home Office and its agencies employed 226 people that regularly deal with procurement services.

Scottish Minimum Unit Pricing Bill (Draft)

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what her policy is on the detailed Opinion submitted by the European Commission on the draft Scottish Minimum Unit Pricing Bill;
	(2)  when she plans to respond to the European Commission and other Member States which have objected to the draft Scottish Minimum Unit Pricing Bill.

Jeremy Browne: The UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government to respond to the questions and issues raised by the European Commission and a number of member states who gave opinions. A response has been sent by the UK Government, in relation to the Scottish Government's proposals.

Sick Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2012, Official Report, column 442W, on sick leave, if she will make an assessment of the contribution mindfulness-based practice can make to reducing workplace stress and staff absences in her Department.

James Brokenshire: Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) supplier provides information and guidance on a range of wellbeing topics including mindfulness techniques via their website. However it is not possible to isolate the specific contribution that using mindfulness techniques can make to reducing levels of sickness absence or reducing workplace stress.

Telecommunications: Databases

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of legal obligations under UK law on overseas communications service providers to provide communications data to UK public authorities.

James Brokenshire: We have relationships with overseas providers covering a range of issues. In giving evidence to the Joint Committee on the draft Communications Data Bill on 6 September, a number of providers made clear that they had a healthy relationship with UK law enforcement. We assess that most major overseas communication service providers provide relatively good levels of co-operation and will be ready to discuss our additional requirements under the proposed legislation.

UK Border Agency

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost to the public purse was of bonuses paid to UK Border Agency staff in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010, (d) 2011 and (e) 2012 to date.

James Brokenshire: The total cost of performance related payments paid to UK Border Agency staff in the financial years from 2008 to 2012-13 is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2008-09 3,382,919 
			 2009-10 4,042,472 
			 2010-11 3,744,369 
			 2011-12 3,330,099 
			 2012-13 (to 30 November 2012) 2,329,012 
		
	
	These performance payments are one-off payments which are non-consolidated and therefore non-pensionable.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department paid to Deloitte for consultancy services in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Gregory Barker: The expenditure incurred by the Department of Energy and Climate Change with Deloitte for consultancy services is:
	(a) 2010: £163,000;
	(b) 2011: £665,000;
	(c) 2012: £936,000.
	The information provided is for calendar years (January to December) and covers consultancy services as defined by the Government Procurement Service.

Eaga

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will meet the chief executive of Eaga to discuss improving service for its customers in terms of the original work undertaken and any required follow-up work.

Gregory Barker: My officials and I are in regular contact with Carillion Energy Services (previously Eaga) to discuss issues relating to delivery of the Warm Front scheme.

Eaga

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to improve the performance of Eaga in answering telephone complaints about its service.

Gregory Barker: My officials have regular meetings with Carillion Energy Services (previously Eaga) to discuss all aspects of their performance including the handling of complaints received and to work with the scheme manager to implement improvements where necessary.

Energy

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of demand for energy in the UK in each year between 2012 and 2022.

John Hayes: holding answer 9 January 2013
	DECC's latest published estimates for energy demand were released on 15 October 2012. The central projections for end user energy demand 2012 to 2022 are shown as follows.
	
		
			  Energy demand (Ktoe) 
			 2012 141,680 
			 2013 139,312 
			 2014 138,580 
			 2015 137,856 
			 2016 137,588 
			 2017 137,140 
			 2018 136,815 
			 2019 136,629 
			 2020 136,409 
			 2021 136,681 
			 2022 136,892 
		
	
	These projections are sensitive to modelling and input assumptions such as economic growth. Further details and projections under alternative economic growth and fossil fuel price scenarios are given in Annex C of DECC's Updated energy and emissions projections:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/ec_social_res/analytic_projs/en_emis_projs/en_emis_projs.aspx

Energy

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many consumers are supplied by each of the top ten most commonly used energy companies operating in the UK; and how much each such company received under the renewables obligation in each of the last five years.

John Hayes: holding answer 9 January 2013
	DECC does not hold the information requested.
	Ofgem published data on market share of the six largest energy supply companies in their retail market review in October 2012. These six suppliers account for more than 98% of the domestic supply market. The report containing these findings can be found here:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/rmr/Documents1/The%20Retail%20Market%20Review%20-%20Updated%20domestic%20proposals.pdf
	The obligation placed on each supplier to provide renewable obligation certificates (ROCs) is based on the supplier's market share. The renewables obligation annual reports, published by Ofgem, give the obligation on each supplier in ROCs. The re-distribution of the buy-out/late payment fund figures are also included in the RO annual reports. Further details can be found here:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/RenewablObl/Pages/RenewablObl.aspx

Energy: Conservation

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that funding for energy efficiency schemes is available between the end of Carbon Emissions Reduction Target funding and the commencement of the Green Deal scheme.

Gregory Barker: The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) schemes both ended on 31 December 2012. The new Energy Company Obligation (ECO) formally came into effect on 1 January 2013, however, obligated companies have been able to offer measures under ECO since 1 October 2012. It is estimated that the costs to energy companies of delivering ECO will be broadly equivalent to the costs of delivering CERT and CESP.
	Households will be able to take out Green Deal plans from 28 January 2013.

Fossil Fuels: Imports

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average price of each tonne of (a) oil and (b) gas, imported from (i) Russia, (ii) Norway, (iii) the Middle East and (iv) Latin America was in each of the last 10 years.

John Hayes: holding answer 9 January 2013
	DECC publishes the average price per tonne of imported crude oil in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), table G4. Prices for 2002-11 are shown as follows.
	
		
			 Average price per tonne (1)  of imported crude oil 
			 £ 
			  Russia Norway Middle east Latin America (2) 
			 2002 119 123 113 95 
			 2003 128 136 120 85 
			 2004 148 156 140 85 
			 2005 207 218 218 104 
			 2006 266 264 248 177 
			 2007 263 266 184 174 
			 2008 389 392 372 255 
			 2009 284 290 279 226 
			 2010 387 387 342 286 
			 2011 527 526 499 361 
			 (1) c.i.f (Cost, Insurance and Freight) basis (2) Venezuela Source: HMRC 
		
	
	In 2011, 67% of crude oil imported to the UK came from Norway, 8% from Russia, 2% from the middle east, and 1% from Latin America.
	For gas, data for the specified countries is not available, as gas imports piped from the Continent via interconnector are a mix of gas from various sources. DECC does not publish any value or price data for gas imports by country of origin.

Fossil Fuels: Imports

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) oil and (b) gas was imported into the UK from (i) Russia, (ii) Norway, (iii) the middle east and (iv) Latin America in each of the last 10 years.

John Hayes: holding answer 9 January 2013
	The following tables show the volumes of crude oil and natural gas imported from (i) Russia, (ii) Norway, (iii) the middle east and (iv) Latin America in each of the last 10 years.
	
		
			 (a) Crude oil 
			 Million tonnes 
			  (i) Russia (ii) Norway (iii) Middle east (iv) Latin America 
			 2002 3.6 29.5 3.0 1.4 
			 2003 4.4 32.6 2.8 1.9 
			 2004 7.5 39.8 1.6 1.2 
			 2005 5.1 37.5 2.1 1.6 
			 2006 8.9 31.8 0.7 1.8 
			 2007 6.8 32.6 1.3 1.6 
			 2008 5.2 32.6 0.4 1.4 
		
	
	
		
			 2009 3.8 30.7 0.4 1.9 
			 2010 3.6 32.1 0.1 1.6 
			 2011 4.7 31.4 0.2 1.4 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Natural gas 
			 TWh 
			  (i) Russia (ii) Norway (iii) Middle east (iv) Latin America 
			 2002 0 37.9 0 0 
			 2003 0 71.8 0 0 
			 2004 0 95.4 0 0 
			 2005 0 127.9 0 0 
			 2006 0 157.0 0.8 0 
			 2007 0 225.8 2.7 0 
			 2008 0 283.7 0.0 0 
			 2009 0 262.3 61.2 0 
			 2010 0 285.7 161.8 0 
			 2011 0 244.2 237.0 0

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change where the waste from the proposed nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C will be disposed of.

John Hayes: The Government expects that spent nuclear fuel and intermediate level waste from Hinkley Point C would be disposed of in a planned geological disposal facility.
	The Government expects that low level waste would be disposed of in the low level waste repository or a successor facility.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which organisation will pay for above-ground storage and the later disposal of nuclear waste from the proposed nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C.

John Hayes: The Energy Act 2008 requires prospective operators of new nuclear power stations to have a Funded Decommissioning Plan (FDP) approved by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. The FDP must set out the operator’s plans for disposal of waste together with secure financial provision to meet these costs. The Government also requires operators to meet their full share of waste disposal costs.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will announce arrangements for disposal of waste at the site before granting a development consent order for the proposed nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C.

John Hayes: The Nuclear National Policy Statement published by my Department in 2011 sets out the Government's approach to radioactive waste management in the context of planning decisions. A copy of the National Policy Statement was placed in the Library of the House at the time of publication:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/consents_planning/nps_en_infra/nps_en_infra.aspx
	Therefore any planning consent will take account of the policy as set out in the National Policy Statement.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he intends to answer the letter sent to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 15 November 2012 with regard to Ms Leila O'Sullivan.

Gregory Barker: I have now replied to the right hon. Member and apologised for the delay in doing so.

Petroleum Act 1998

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which rig operators have notices served under section 29 of the Petroleum Act 1998 that are unresolved.

John Hayes: Any party served a notice under Section 29 of the Petroleum Act 1998 (“the Act”) has the opportunity, at any time, to ask for consideration of withdrawal of their notice(s) if they no longer remain within a category as defined by Section 30(1) or Section 30(2) of the Act.
	There are currently 17 extant S29 notices under review following requests for withdrawal from served parties. (Consideration of withdrawal of S29 notices is a regular and ongoing part of DECC Offshore Decommissioning Unit's risk assessment process.)

Public Expenditure

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has carried out since the 2012 Autumn Statement of the effect of the proposed reduction in his Department's resource budget of (a) one per cent in 2013-14 and (b) 2 per cent in 2014-15 on its (i) staffing levels and (ii) operating capability.

Gregory Barker: The autumn statement of 5 December 2012, Official Report, columns 871-882, requires the Department of Energy and Climate Change to make reductions to its programme budgets of £3 million in 2013-14 and £6 million in 2014-15. The majority of the Department's budgets are protected from reductions as they relate to the management of historical energy liabilities or overseas development aid commitments. The Department is currently in the middle of a business planning process which will determine how the reductions are applied. This process is planned to conclude by the end of March 2013.

Wind Power

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if his Department will publish a wind map of Britain.

John Hayes: Each month, DECC publishes a table of aggregate UK wind speeds and an accompanying map of the monitoring station locations. These are available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/temperatures/temperatures.aspx

TREASURY

Financial Services: Equality

Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance his Department has published on the application of the Equality Act 2010 (Age Exceptions) Order 2012 to the provision of financial services; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Government Equalities Office (GEO), based within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility for the Equality Act 2010 (Age Exceptions) Order 2012. In September 2012 GEO published guidance for financial service providers and their customers, entitled “Equality Act 2010 and age discrimination: What do I need to know? A quick start guide for financial services”. HM Treasury worked with GEO on the content of the quick start guide and has not published separate guidance.

Government Securities

Andrew Percy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the overseas holding of UK gilts; and what the value is of UK gilts held by each holding country.

Sajid Javid: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on holdings of gilts by overseas investors. This data shows that as at end-September 2012, the market value of overseas gilt holdings totalled £398.3 billion, accounting for 30.2% of the total gilt stock.
	The ONS does not disaggregate this data by country.
	The Government welcomes the participation of overseas investors in the gilt market as it contributes to the diversification of the investor base and supports the depth and liquidity of the market.

Income Tax

Dominic Raab: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs revised the figure for the amount of income tax paid by additional rate taxpayers in 2011-12 in table 2.6 of its income tax liabilities statistics from £47 billion when the table was published in April 2011 to £38.1 billion when the table was published in April 2012.

David Gauke: Estimates of the income tax liabilities of additional rate taxpayers in 2011-12 published in April 2012 took account of newly available evidence suggesting that the behavioural responses of high income individuals to the introduction of the additional rate were greater than previously expected. Among these additional behavioural effects, a much greater amount of income was forestalled (i.e. brought forward into 2009-10 from later years in order to be taxed at 40% rather than the 50% additional rate). This had the effect of significantly reducing the amounts of income then declared in 2010-11 and 2011-12 compared to the predictions made when the April 2011 statistics were compiled.
	These changes to the projections for high income individuals were described in Annex B of the April 2012 Income Tax Liabilities Statistics bulletin, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-statistics/liabilities.pdf
	The HMRC report "The Exchequer effect of the 50% additional rate of income tax" provides further details, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/excheq-income-tax-2042.pdf
	In addition, the liabilities statistics published in April 2012 were updated to take account of newly available Survey of Personal Incomes outturn data for 2009-10 and the revised forecast for the UK economy released in the Office for Budgetary Responsibility's March 2012 Economic and fiscal outlook.

Income Tax

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average annual sum to be retained by persons previously liable for the 50p rate of income tax following its reduction; how many such persons he estimates there are in each (a) nation of the UK and (b) region of England; and what estimate he has made of the sums to be forgone by the Exchequer in respect of the reduction in the 50p rate in each such nation and region in the 12 months following the reduction.

David Gauke: The cost of reducing the additional rate of income tax to 45% is estimated at around £100 million per year. This accounts for a significant behavioural response associated with changes in personal tax rates.
	An estimate of the impact broken down by region is not available as the behavioural response is only estimated in aggregate.
	For more details see the HMRC report ‘The Exchequer effect of the 50 per cent additional rate of income tax’, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/excheq-income-tax-2042.pdf
	Estimates of the number of individuals liable to the additional rate of income tax by country and region in tax years are published on the HMRC website in Table 2.2 ‘Number of individual income taxpayers by marginal rate, gender and age, by country and region, 1999-2000 to 2012-13’:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/tax-statistics/table2-2.pdf
	These statistics are based on the 2009-10 Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) projected in-line with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2012 Economic and fiscal outlook.

Long-term Health Trends Review

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the (a) actions taken by his Department, (b) decisions made by Government for each of the recommendations made in the (i) conclusion and recommendations chapter and (ii) Annex A of the report by Derek Wanless and the Health Trends Review team at HM Treasury published in April 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Wanless Review was commissioned by and reported to the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the previous Administration. I therefore refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by the then Chancellor on 17 April 2002, Official Report, column 589, and to the plans subsequently set out by the Department of Health.

Non-domestic Rates: Licensed Premises

David Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will harmonise the pub premises rates with the normal rateable value of other commercial high street premises.

Sajid Javid: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 175W.

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which events at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were attended by each Minister in his Department using tickets or passes for which they did not pay personally; and what the cost was of attending each such event for members of the public who used comparable seats or had comparable access.

Sajid Javid: The Government pledged to publish these details following the Olympic and Paralympic Games and will do so shortly.

Pensions: Tax Allowances

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 827W, on pensions: tax allowances, what estimate he has made of the potential yield to the Government of implementing the changes to pension tax relief in 2013-14 rather than 2014-15 in (a) 2013-14 and (b) each of the following five financial years.

Sajid Javid: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 827W, on the reason behind the 2014-15 implementation of the changes to pension relief and unavailability of an estimate of the yield from introducing the changes in April 2013.

Public Sector: Pay

David Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration has been given to the effects of regional pay proposals in the public sector to economically deprived areas outside London.

Danny Alexander: Following the 2011 autumn statement, the independent Pay Review Bodies (PRBs) were asked to consider how public sector pay could better reflect local labour markets.
	The Government published these reports at the 2012 autumn statement and announced that it will be accepting the key recommendations, including that there should be no new centrally-determined local pay rates or zones but that there should be greater use of existing flexibilities.
	The Government also said that there will be no centrally-imposed changes to the geographical structure of pay in the civil service.

Sick Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2012, Official Report, column 438W, on sick leave, if he will make an assessment of the contribution mindfulness-based practice can make to reducing work place stress and staff absences in his Department.

Sajid Javid: Her Majesty's Treasury is firmly committed to the well-being of its staff and keeps various techniques and practices which support this commitment under review.
	Although we do not currently use any specific mindfulness-based interventions in dealing with sick absence cases, employees have access to a range of well-being services which are provided on site at full cost to the employee. In addition, guidance is available for staff, for example on managing stress in the workplace, and support is available through an Occupational Health service and an Employee Assistance Programme.

Teachers: Pay

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether changes to teachers' pay in Wales outlined in his autumn statement will be the responsibility of the Welsh Government or of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Education.
	The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), is responsible for the pay and conditions of teachers in England and Wales.
	In his written ministerial statement on 5 December 2012, Official Report, columns 58-59, the Secretary of State announced his intention to accept, subject to the views of consultees, all of the key recommendations of the 21st report of the School Teachers' Review Body. Accepted recommendations will be incorporated into the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document and will apply to both England and Wales.
	Although the pay and conditions of teachers are not a devolved matter, the Welsh Government is a statutory consultee of the School Teachers' Review Body. The Welsh Government submitted evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body and has provided a response to the consultation on the Secretary of State's intention to accept their recommendations. There will be a further consultation on the revised School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document before it is laid before Parliament, to which the Welsh Government will be invited to respond.

Valuation Office Agency

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the performance of the Valuation Office Agency in 2012.

David Gauke: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publishes its business plan each year setting out its main areas of work including a set of input and impact indicators. The 2012-15 plan is available on the internet via the VOA's corporate website under corporate publications and can also be viewed at the House of Commons' Library.
	The agency also publishes its annual report and accounts including an operating and performance commentary. The annual report and accounts for the last three financial years are also available on the agency's website and are placed in the Library of the House of Commons.
	Here is a link to these reports:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/publications/corporate.html#rep
	I reviewed the latest business plan and annual report prior to publication. I am also updated by the agency's senior officials throughout the year on operating and performance issues.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

School Sports

Andrew McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effect of the Government’s proposed removal of specific requirements for outdoor space in schools on her plan to create a sporting habit for life; and if she will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: This is principally a matter for DfE, but Sport England’s £1 billion youth and community strategy is designed to strengthen links between school and community sport. For the first time we will target funding towards young people aged 14-25, helping to inspire a generation and create a culture where people have a sporting habit for life.

School Sports

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effect of the Government’s proposed removal of specific requirements for outdoor space in schools on her plan to create a sporting habit for life; and if she will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: This is principally a matter for DfE, but Sport England’s £1 billion youth and community strategy is designed to strengthen links between school and community sport. For the first time we will target funding towards young people aged 14-25, helping to inspire a generation and create a culture where people have a sporting habit for life.

Horse Racing

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress she has made on replacing the Horserace Betting Levy Board system of funding horse racing; and if she will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: I was pleased that Bookmakers and Racing reached an agreement for the 52nd levy. I have now given the Levy board six months to help broker a commercial and enforceable long-term agreement under the current levy arrangements. I continue to explore other options to fund racing and, if a suitable solution is found, would expect this to lead to a public consultation by autumn 2013.

4G Spectrum

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the status is of the 4G spectrum auction.

Edward Vaizey: On 7 January Ofcom published the names of the bidders who will take part in the award of the 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum bands, and said that bidding will start before the end of January. The bidders are:
	Everything Everywhere Ltd;
	HKT (UK) Company Ltd;
	Hutchison 3G UK Ltd;
	MLL Telecom Ltd;
	Niche Spectrum Ventures Ltd;
	Telefónica UK Ltd;
	Vodafone Ltd.

Broadband: Lancashire

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to assist Lancashire county council to rollout high speed broadband in Yealand, Lancashire and similar areas.

Edward Vaizey: Broadband Delivery UK has been working closely with Lancashire county council to help the county to deliver its superfast broadband project and universal standard 2 Mbps broadband. The county council has a delivery contract in place and is currently undertaking its consultation to ensure no over-building of other broadband networks, as required to demonstrate compliance with EU state aid requirements. This consultation is due to end on 12 January 2013.

Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings Ministers and officials in her Department had with Deloitte in each month of (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Hugh Robertson: The Department does not hold centrally a list of all meetings held by officials and to collate this information for the period requested would incur disproportionate cost. However, as a London 2012 sponsor officials within the Government Olympic Executive would have met Deloitte to discuss matters relating to the Games. The Department publishes details of all ministerial meetings with external organisations, since May 2010, on its transparency website at the following link:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/category/other/meetings/

Electronic Publishing: Public Libraries

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on e-lending in public libraries.

Edward Vaizey: Approaches to e-lending are a matter for individual library authorities. However I have also commissioned William Sieghart to conduct an independent review examining the issue of e-lending in public libraries in England. The review will report back to me this Session.

Gay Games: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to support London's bid to host Gay Games X in 2018.

Helen Grant: My Department wholeheartedly backs the bid to bring the 2018 Gay Games to London. My officials have met with the London 2018 Bid Team to discuss the bid and the Minister for Sport and Tourism, my right hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Hugh Robertson), has written to confirm that my Department stand ready to provide advice and assistance to the bid.

Gay Games: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with organisers of the bid for London to host Gay Games X in 2018; and if such discussions have examined the possible use of Olympic facilities as part of the bid proposal.

Helen Grant: The legacy use of Olympic and Paralympic facilities is a matter for the venue owners and I would therefore encourage the organisers to engage with the venues directly. The venue owner for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is the London Legacy Development Corporation. My Department stands ready to facilitate discussions if necessary.

Volleyball: Kettering

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the Minister for Sport will visit the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering.

Hugh Robertson: I have no current plans to visit the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Autumn Statement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the effects on equalities policy of the autumn statement.

Helen Grant: Tough decisions are necessary to reduce the deficit, but it is vital robust processes are in place to ensure equality issues are taken into account.
	There have been regular discussions with Ministers related to the impacts on women and other equality groups, both in the run up to the autumn statement and following the statement.

Females: Poverty

Nia Griffith: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies on women of recent tax and benefit changes.

Esther McVey: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	The Government is supporting women and their families, for example by extending child care support through universal credit and by lifting 2 million of the lowest paid workers out of income tax altogether, six out of 10 of whom are women.

EDUCATION

Children: Speech and Language Disorders

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (a) how many and (b) what proportion of pupils in (i) reception, (ii) year 1 and (iii) year 2 in each state-funded primary school had speech and language difficulties in the latest year for which figures are available.

Edward Timpson: The available information has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Information on pupils with special educational needs (including some school level data) is available in the “Special Educational Needs in England: January 2012” Statistical First Release which can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001075/index.shtml

Children: Speech Therapy

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the availability of speech and language therapy for children in England with special educational needs who do not have a statement of special educational needs.

Edward Timpson: No recent assessment has been made. Decisions about the need for speech and language therapy are for local agencies.
	The Government published on 27 December 2012, the final reports of The Better Communication Research Programme: Improving provision for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs. The reports highlight the importance of local agencies working together to assess needs and provide the right support. The findings of the reports support the action the Government is taking to better support the needs of disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs.
	The Government's proposals for legislation to improve the special educational needs system include provision to promote integration of special educational provision with health and social care provision and for joint commissioning of services. These proposals are designed to help to improve provision made for all children and young people with special educational needs, including those with speech, language and communication needs.

Families

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to allow children to maintain relationships with grandparents and other family members if their parents separate.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 7 January 2012
	We agree with the Family Justice Review's recommendation that the importance of children's relationships with grandparents and other family members, where safe and appropriate, should be emphasised in the dispute resolution process. Work will continue this year to develop a range of support to help separated parents resolve their disputes out of court. The importance of considering the benefits to children of maintaining relationships with wider family members will be stressed throughout this process, including through online support, parenting programmes for separated parents, and as part of the new “parenting agreement” which is being developed.

Kids Company

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what government funding will be awarded to Kids Company in financial year 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 9 January 2012
	There are a number of funding opportunities available for voluntary sector organisations across government. The Department for Education have a range of contracts for which voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations are eligible to bid. We have a new round of VCS funding available under the National Prospectus Grants programme 2013-15. The bidding exercise for this programme, which will offer up to £30 million a year in 2013-14 and 2014-15, closed on 30 November 2012. Eligible applications are under active consideration and no funding allocations have yet been made.

Special Educational Needs

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which special schools are schools for children with statements of special educational needs for behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

Edward Timpson: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Information on pupils with special educational needs (including school level data) is available in the 'Special Educational Needs in England: January 2012' Statistical First Release which can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001075/index.shtml

Special Educational Needs: Suffolk

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children with special educational needs and resident in Suffolk were educated outside that county in each of the last three years; and what the cost of such provision was to Suffolk County Council in each year.

Edward Timpson: Information on how many children with special education needs and resident in Suffolk that were educated outside that county is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of pupils (1,2,3)  resident in Suffolk and attending school outside that county, by SEN provision 2010, 2011 and 2012 
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 No identified SEN 1,472 1,460 1,524 
			 School Action 151 163 144 
			 School Action Plus 96 105 113 
			 SEN with a statement 71 84 81 
			 Total 1,790 1,812 1,862 
			 (1) Figures are based on the local authority of pupil residence. (2) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarding pupils. (3) Includes nurseries, state-funded primary schools (including middle schools as deemed), primary academies, state-funded secondary schools (including middle schools as deemed), city technology colleges, secondary academies, and state-funded and non-maintained special schools. Source: School Census, 2010, 2011 and 2012 
		
	
	The Department does not hold information on the cost of such provision to Suffolk county council.

Teachers: Early Retirement

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers took early retirement in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Essex, (d) Cambridgeshire, (e) Bedfordshire, (f) Hertfordshire and (g) England by category of institution in each of the last three years.

David Laws: The following tables provide the number of teachers awarded early retirement benefits from the Teachers' Pensions Scheme (TPS), whose last recorded service was in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire local authority areas and for England, in each year from 2008/09 to 2010/11. Figures include teachers retiring from local authority maintained schools, academies and city technology colleges as well as those teachers in independent schools and further and higher education colleges that were covered by the TPS.
	
		
			 Early retirements (1)  from institutions covered by the Teachers' Pensions Scheme in each local authority area. 2008-09 to 2010-11. Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire local authorities and England 
			  2008-09 (2) 
			  Nursery/primary Secondary (3) Special and PRU Other sectors Total 
			 England 3,330 4,220 330 1,820 9,700 
			       
			 Suffolk 40 70 — 10 120 
			 Norfolk 80 80 — 20 170 
			 Essex 70 120 10 40 230 
			 Cambridge shire 30 40 — 10 80 
			 Bedfordshire(4) 20 40 — 10 70 
			 Hertfordshire 60 60 10 30 160 
		
	
	
		
			  2009-10 (2) 
			  Nursery/primary Secondary (3) Special and PRU Other sectors Total 
			 England 2,930 4,020 310 1,730 9,000 
			       
			 Suffolk 40 50 — 10 100 
			 Norfolk 60 80 10 30 170 
			 Essex 60 70 10 30 160 
		
	
	
		
			 Cambridge shire 20 30 — 20 70 
			 Bedfordshire(4) 20 30 10 10 60 
			 Hertfordshire 40 60 10 40 140 
		
	
	
		
			  2010-11 (2) 
			  Nursery/primary Secondary (3) Special and PRU Other sectors Total 
			 England 3,500 4,820 480 2,300 11,110 
			       
			 Suffolk 50 70 — 10 130 
			 Norfolk 60 90 — 40 190 
			 Essex 90 100 10 40 230 
			 Cambridge shire 20 40 — 20 80 
			 Bedfordshire(4) 10 50 — 20 80 
			 Hertfordshire 50 70 10 40 170 
			 (1) Includes premature and actuarially reduced benefits. (2) Provisional. (3) Includes academies. (4) Bedfordshire local authority was re-organised on 1 April 2009 and retirements are not available for the new local authorities in Bedfordshire. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Database of Teacher Records and Pensioner Statistical System (PENSTATS)

Teachers: Training

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which higher education institution providers of initial teacher education have reduced their allocation for PGCE secondary training in (a) history, (b) geography, (c) English, (d) STEM subjects in 2013-14; and what that reduction is as a proportion of 2012-13 allocations in each such case.

David Laws: Postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) places were allocated directly to ITT providers in academic year (AY) 2012/13. For AY 2013/14, however, they are split between core places allocated to providers and School Direct places allocated to schools, who work with a partner ITT provider to deliver teacher training. Therefore a straight comparison of allocations between the two years may be distorted.
	On this basis, the following tables show the higher education institution providers of initial teacher education with reduced core allocations for postgraduate secondary training for academic year 2013/14, the proportionate reduction and the effect of School Direct. Many providers with reduced core allocations will actually be delivering more training once the effect of School Direct is included.
	
		
			 (a) History 
			 Percentage 
			  Reduction from 2012/13 to 2013/14 
			 HEI name Core places only Core plus School Direct places 
			 Keele University 100 53 
			 Leeds Trinity University College 38 increase 
			 University of Cumbria 82 29 
			 University of Gloucestershire 100 100 
		
	
	
		
			 University of Newcastle 100 86 
			 University of Reading 100 no change 
			 University of Southampton 100 50 
			 University of Sussex 62 increase 
			 University of Warwick 100 47 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Geography 
			 Percentage 
			  Reduction from 2012/13 to 2013/14 
			 HEI name Core places only Core plus School Direct places 
			 Goldsmiths University 17 no change 
			 Keele University 100 61 
			 Middlesex University 100 67 
			 The Open University 27 5 
			 University College Plymouth St Mark and St John 100 100 
			 University of Cumbria 89 37 
			 University of Gloucestershire 100 100 
			 University of Leicester 9 no change 
			 University of Newcastle 100 55 
			 University of Plymouth 100 50 
			 University of Sheffield 63 25 
			 University of Southampton 100 91 
			 University of Sunderland 17 17 
		
	
	
		
			 (c) English 
			 Percentage 
			  Reduction from 2012/13 to 2013/14 
			 HEI name Core places only Core plus School Direct places 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 100 70 
			 Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln 100 increase 
			 Brunei University 100 100 
			 Goldsmiths University 35 13 
			 Keele University 100 36 
			 Leeds Trinity University College 62 increase 
			 London Metropolitan University 100 100 
			 Middlesex University 100 increase 
			 Newman University College 100 increase 
			 Nottingham Trent University 100 increase 
			 Oxford Brookes University 52 33 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 100 increase 
			 University College Plymouth St Mark and St John 100 44 
			 University of Bedfordshire 100 increase 
			 University of Cumbria 100 increase 
			 University of East Anglia 4 increase 
			 University of East London 100 53 
			 University of Gloucestershire 100 100 
			 University of Hertfordshire 100 increase 
			 University of Leeds 100 72 
			 University of Leicester 45 27 
			 University of Newcastle 100 14 
			 University of Plymouth 100 no change 
			 University of Reading 100 increase 
			 University of Sheffield 100 100 
			 University of Southampton 100 increase 
			 University of Sussex 58 increase 
		
	
	
		
			 University of Warwick 100 increase 
		
	
	
		
			 (d) STEM subjects (aggregate of biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, physics with mathematics, combined science, ICT, computer science and design and technology) 
			 Percentage 
			  Reduction from 2012/13 to 2013/14 
			 HEI name Core places only Core plus School Direct places 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 33 6 
			 Bath Spa University 1 1 
			 Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln 59 increase 
			 Bradford College 43 no change 
			 Brunei University 32 32 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 3 increase 
			 Edge Hill University 17 7 
			 Goldsmiths University 9 increase 
			 Hibernia College 58 48 
			 Keele University 50 12 
			 King's College London 11 increase 
			 Kingston University 56 44 
			 Leeds Trinity University College 24 increase 
			 Liverpool Hope University 3 increase 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 34 13 
			 London Metropolitan University 34 34 
			 London South Bank University 100 100 
			 Middlesex University 30 increase 
			 Newman University College 41 increase 
			 Nottingham Trent University 30 1 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 30 increase 
			 Staffordshire University 14 increase 
			 The Open University 9 2 
			 University College Plymouth St Mark and St John 51 40 
			 University of Bedfordshire 39 increase 
			 University of Chester 14 increase 
			 University of Cumbria 37 increase 
			 University of East Anglia 5 increase 
			 University of East London 31 increase 
			 University of Exeter 2 increase 
			 University of Gloucestershire 53 50 
			 University of Greenwich 17 16 
			 University of Hertfordshire. 55 increase 
			 University of Huddersfield 28 12 
			 University of Hull 1 increase 
			 University of Leeds 57 32 
			 University of Leicester 23 no change 
			 University of Manchester 7 increase 
			 University of Newcastle 53 9 
			 University of Oxford 1 increase 
			 University of Plymouth 56 9 
			 University of Reading 38 increase 
			 University of Sheffield 38 29 
			 University of Southampton 39 increase 
			 University of Sunderland 17 12 
			 University of Sussex 16 increase 
			 University of the West of England 1 increase 
			 University of Warwick 51 increase 
		
	
	
		
			 University of Wolverhampton 7 increase 
			 University of York 3 increase 
		
	
	Details of the numbers of places which produce the proportions in the tables above and a breakdown of the STEM numbers into individual subject cohorts have been placed in the House Libraries.

Young Offenders: Literacy

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the level of literacy is of those detained in the secure youth estate.

Edward Timpson: Data on the educational attainment of those detained is not collected centrally for the entire youth secure estate. Some data is collected centrally by the Education Funding Agency for the provision it funds for those aged under 18 in public sector Young Offender Institutions. Of the 3,410 entrants to these institutions who were newly assessed for literacy skills in 2011/12; 11% were assessed on entry as being at level 2 or above (equivalent to GCSE English at grade C or above); 38% at level 1 (equivalent to GCSE English at grades D-G); and 51% at entry level or below (below the level of GCSE grade G).

JUSTICE

Crimes of Violence: Reoffenders

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average number of previous convictions was for each offender found guilty of actual bodily harm between 1994 and 2011;
	(2)  what the average number of previous convictions was for each offender found guilty of rape between 1994 and 2011;
	(3)  what the average number of previous convictions was for each offender found guilty of robbery between 1994 and 2011;
	(4)  what the average number of previous convictions was for each offender found guilty of grievous bodily harm between 1994 and 2011.

Jeremy Wright: The following table shows the average number of previous convictions for each offender found guilty of actual bodily harm, rape, robbery and grievous bodily harm.
	
		
			 Average number of previous convictions of offenders found guilty of actual bodily harm, rape, robbery and grievous bodily harm 2001-11 
			  Average previous convictions 
			 Offenders found guilty of actual bodily harm 4.8 
			 Offenders found guilty of rape 4.3 
			 Offenders found guilty of robbery 6.4 
			 Offenders found guilty of grievous bodily harm 5.7 
			 Source: Ministry of justice 
		
	
	The figures are drawn from the Police National Computer (PNC) which was created in the year 2000 and the data prior to this are considered unreliable. We have used an extract of data from Criminal Stats Publication (offending history section, chapter 7) up to the end of 2011 which have the current year (in this case 2011) and then a 10 year history. The dates that the extract contains are from the 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2011 and the average is taken from anyone convicted of requested crimes in this period:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/criminal-justice/criminal-justice-statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-editions
	For clarity, below is a list of each offence counted within each crime category in the table:
	Actual bodily harm:
	Offences against the Person Act 1861 Sec.47 (in part) Assaults occasioning actual bodily harm (malicious wounding).
	Crime and Disorder Act 1998 S.29(l)(b) & (2) Racially or religiously aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
	Rape:
	Rape (1963-1964).
	Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec.7 as amended by Mental Health Act 1959 Sec.127 Man having unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman who is a defective.
	Mental Health Act 1959 Sec.128 (1)(a) Male member of staff of hospital having unlawful sexual intercourse with a female patient.
	Mental Health Act 1959 Sec.128 (1)(b) Man having unlawful sexual intercourse with mentally disordered female patient in his care.
	Rape (1965-94).
	Rape of a female aged under 16—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.l.
	Rape of a female aged 16 or over—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1.
	Rape of a male aged under 16—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1.
	Rape of a male aged 16 or over—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1.
	Attempted rape of a female aged under 16—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1.
	Attempted rape of a female aged 16 or over —Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1.
	Attempted rape of a male aged under 16—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.l.
	Attempted rape of a male aged 16 or over—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1.
	Rape of a female child under 13 by a male—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.5.
	Rape of a male child under 13 by a male—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.5.
	Attempted rape of a female child under 13 by a male—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.5.
	Attempted rape of a male child under 13 by a male—Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.5.
	Robbery:
	Theft Act 1968 Sec.8 Robbery.
	Theft Act 1968 Sec.8 Assault with intent to rob.
	Grievous bodily harm:
	Offences against the Person Act 1861 Sec.18 Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
	Offences against the Person Act 1861 Sec.29 Causing explosion or casting corrosive fluids with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
	Offences against the Person Act 1861 Sec.20 Malicious wounding —Wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm.
	Crime and Disorder Act 1998 S.29(l)(a) & (2) Racially or religiously aggravated wounding or grievous bodily harm.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Family Justice Council

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice where he anticipates savings to be made in the Family Justice Council in 2012-13.

Helen Grant: The Family Justice Council had a total allocation of £77,505 for the financial year 2012-13. £12,000 has been transferred to the Family Justice Board and the council has identified savings of £5,500—mostly drawn from staff and non-staff travel and subsistence budgets. It is possible that further savings may be found from the research budget before the end of the financial year.

Fraud: Cash Dispensing

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of sentence was given to those convicted of fraud involving the use or possession of a Lebanese loop device for ATM card capture in (a) the UK and (b) London in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Wright: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the court proceedings database does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible to identify from this centrally held information the number of defendants convicted of using or possession of a Lebanese loop device.

Legal Aid Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) terms of reference, (b) membership and (c) reporting date of the legal aid review announced on 7 November will be.

Jeremy Wright: The Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), has made clear that he is concerned about public confidence in the legal aid system. He has ordered an internal policy examination of aspects of the system that affect its credibility with the public. We will make a further announcement in due course.

Legal Aid Scheme

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of reductions to civil legal aid and obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 is fully compliant with the Government's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which events at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were attended by each Minister in his Department using tickets or passes for which they did not pay personally; and what the cost was of attending each such event for members of the public who used comparable seats or had comparable access.

Helen Grant: The Government pledged to publish these details following the Olympic and Paralympic games and will do so shortly.

Prisoners

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) Category A, (b) Category B, (c) Category C and (d) Category D prisoners are currently incarcerated in each prison in England and Wales.

Jeremy Wright: The table identifies all sentenced adult male prisoners who have a centrally recorded security category of A (including provisional standard, high and exceptional risk), B, C, or D. Category A data is accurate as at 2 January 2013 and all other data is accurate as at 4 January 2013.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Prison Category A Category B Category C Category D 
			 Altcourse 0 51 437 49 
			 Bedford 0 23 166 3 
			 Belmarsh 70 93 143 20 
			 Birmingham 0 164 615 24 
			 Blantyre House 0 0 9 108 
			 Blundeston 0 0 456 30 
			 Brinsford 0 4 39 0 
			 Bristol 0 39 292 14 
			 Brixton 0 0 463 124 
			 Buckley Hall 0 0 380 47 
			 Bullingdon 0 150 632 15 
			 Bullwood Hall 0 0 191 1 
			 Bure 0 0 484 3 
			 Canterbury 0 0 256 23 
			 Cardiff 0 42 410 10 
			 Channings Wood 0 0 610 28 
			 Chelmsford 0 35 216 37 
			 Coldingley 0 0 433 36 
			 Dartmoor 0 0 553 35 
			 Doncaster 0 43 468 24 
			 Dorchester 0 4 101 7 
			 Dovegate 0 519 371 19 
			 Durham 0 40 372 12 
			 Elmley (Sheppey Cluster) 0 97 464 86 
			 Erlestoke 0 0 393 40 
			 Everthorpe 0 0 528 220 
			 Exeter 0 25 238 1 
			 Featherstone 0 0 560 26 
			 Ford 0 0 0 494 
			 Forest Bank 0 36 716 34 
		
	
	
		
			 Frankland 223 575 0 0 
			 Full Sutton 179 428 0 0 
			 Garth 0 626 176 4 
			 Gartree 0 621 52 2 
			 Gloucester 0 3 139 41 
			 Guys Marsh 0 0 364 15 
			 Haverigg 0 0 551 42 
			 Hewell 0 58 469 195 
			 High Down 0 96 339 9 
			 Highpoint (North and South) 0 0 933 67 
			 Hollesley Bay 0 0 0 376 
			 Holme House 0 80 723 12 
			 Hull 0 86 425 13 
			 Huntercombe 0 0 359 23 
			 Isis 0 0 157 8 
			 Isle of Wight 0 798 524 49 
			 Kennet 0 0 137 100 
			 Kingston 0 0 193 5 
			 Kirkham 0 0 0 600 
			 Whatton 0 0 461 12 
			 Whitemoor 156 290 0 0 
			 Winchester 0 42 250 11 
			 Wolds 0 0 296 32 
			 Woodhill 56 87 369 9 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 0 19 637 17 
			 Wymott 0 0 1,121 24

Prisoners

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Category A prisoners are currently classified as (a) Standard Risk, (b) High Risk and (c) Exceptional Risk in each prison in England and Wales.

Jeremy Wright: Category A prisoners are currently only held in the eight High Security Prisons. On 2 January there were:
	Belmarsh—61 Standard Risk; six High Risk; and three Exceptional Risk prisoners
	Frankland—209 Standard Risk; and 14 High Risk prisoners
	Full Sutton—162 Standard Risk; and 17 High Risk prisoners
	Long Lartin—153 Standard Risk; and 16 High Risk prisoners
	Manchester—20 Standard Risk; and 11 High Risk prisoners
	Wakefield—137 Standard Risk; and four High Risk prisoners
	Whitemoor—144 Standard Risk; and 12 High Risk prisoners
	Woodhill—49 Standard Risk; and seven High Risk prisoners

Young Offenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders under the age of 18 were held in the adult secure estate in 2011.

Jeremy Wright: Five young people aged under-18 years were authorised to move into the over-18 secure estate during 2011.
	This data has been provided by the Youth Justice Board (YJB).

Young Offenders

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average number of previous convictions was for each offender held within the secure youth estate in each year since 1994;
	(2)  how many people under the age of 18 and in the care of the secure youth estate were re-offenders in each year since May 2005.

Jeremy Wright: Databases held centrally by the Ministry of Justice record information on the previous convictions or reoffending for those offenders entering the secure youth estate.
	Table 1 shows the average number of previous convictions for offenders under the age of 18 who were sentenced to immediate custody in England and Wales between 2001 (the earliest available) and 2011. Data for 2012 will be available from March 2013.
	
		
			 Table 1: Average number of previous convictions for offenders under the age of 18 sentenced to immediate custody, England and Wales 
			  Number of juveniles sentenced to immediate custody Average number of previous convictions 
			 2001 7,551 4.9 
			 2002 7,644 5.2 
			 2003 ,7,151 5.5 
			 2004 7,816 5.6 
			 2005 7,671 5.8 
			 2006 8,057 5.8 
			 2007 8,097 5.9 
			 2008 7,809 5.9 
			 2009 6,215 6.3 
			 2010 5,613 6.4 
			 2011 4,950 6.7 
		
	
	The numbers of previous convictions given in Table 1 are based on individual sentencing occasions and will therefore be lower than the average number of previous offences committed by these offenders. The data also do not include any previous cautions given to these offenders by the police.
	Table 2 shows the number of juvenile offenders in England and Wales who were released from custody in each of the years 2005 to 2010; and the proportion that committed a proven reoffence within a one year follow-up period. Data for 2011 will be published on 31 October 2012.
	
		
			 Table 2: Proven reoffending rates for juvenile offenders released from custody. England and Wales 
			  Number of offenders in cohort (1) Proportion of offenders who reoffend (percentage) 
			 2005 3,618 73.8 
			 2006 3,411 74.7 
			 2007 3,534 74.1 
			 2008 3,522 72.1 
			 2009 2,938 70.6 
			 2010 2,304 71.0 
			 (1) This does not represent all offenders—offenders who were released from custody are matched to the police national computer database and a certain proportion of these offenders that cannot be matched are excluded from the offender cohort. 
		
	
	A proven reoffence is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up. Following this one year period, a further six month waiting period is allowed for cases to progress through the courts.
	Please note that proven reoffending statistics are available from the Ministry of Justice website at:
	www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/reoffending/proven-re-offending
	Tables 1 and 2 have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Young Offenders

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many young people of each age between 10 and 17 years were convicted of a first offence since 1 May 1998; and how many such people (a) committed a further offence and (b) were later sentenced to a prison term in an adult institution;
	(2)  how many people of each age between 10 and 17 years have been convicted of a crime since 1 May 1998; and how many such people of each age were (a) committing their first offence and (b) reoffenders;
	(3)  how many people of each age between 10 and 17 years who have received a police caution (a) have only received one caution and (b) went on to receive further cautions since 1 May 1998.

Jeremy Wright: The figures are drawn from the Police National Computer (PNC) which was created in the year 2000 and the data prior to this are considered unreliable. We have used an extract of data from the most recent Criminal Stats Publication (offending history section, chapter 7) which have the current year and then a 10 year history. The most recently published publication used the dates 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2012 and that is what we have used for all of the answers to these PQs:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/criminal-justice/criminal-justice-statistics
	Table 1 shows the number of people under the age of 18 by age who have been convicted of a first offence since July 2001.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of young people of ages between 10 and 17 convicted (1)  of committing a first offence since July 2001 in England and Wales 
			 Age First time convictions 
			 10 899 
			 11 3,639 
			 12 10,340 
			 13 23,963 
			 14 46,163 
			 15 71,040 
			 16 86,161 
			 17 102,810 
			 (1) Offenders recorded on the (PNC) by an English or Welsh police force as having received their first conviction. Offenders may have previously received a caution, reprimand or warning prior to this conviction. Source: Ministry of justice 
		
	
	Table 2 shows from the number of people in each age category in table 1, how many went on to be convicted of an offence after their first conviction and how many people in each age category were later sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence as an adult.
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of young people of ages between 10 and 17 who went on to commit a further offence or receive an adult custodial sentence following from their first recorded conviction 
			 Age Total offenders Went on to commit further offence after first conviction Went on to receive an adult custodial sentence 
			 10 899 764 154 
			 11 3,639 3,007 613 
			 12 10,340 8,487 1,975 
			 13 23,963 18,913 4,565 
			 14 46,163 34,765 9,008 
			 15 71,040 50,429 14,461 
			 16 86,161 57,460 18,554 
			 17 102,810 62,875 22,061 
		
	
	Table 3 shows the number of young people ages between 10 and 17 by age who have been convicted of a crime and the number of these people who are fist time offenders at a particular age along with the number of reoffenders.
	
		
			 Table 3: Number of people aged between 10 and 17 convicted of a crime and the number of these who are first time offenders (1)  and reoffenders (2) 
			 Age group Total convicted First time offenders Reoffenders 
			 10 899 311 588 
			 11 3,639 1,066 2,573 
			 12 10,340 2,776 7,564 
			 13 23,963 6,472 17,491 
			 14 46,163 12,276 33,887 
			 15 71,040 18,025 53,015 
			 16 86,161 23,254 62,907 
			 17 102,810 31,233 71,577 
			 (1) A first time offender in the table above is an individual whose first convicted crime is also there first recorded crime. (2) A reoffender is defined as any individual having previously received a caution, reprimand or warning prior to their first conviction. Offences resulting in penalty notices for disorder are not counted as first offences. Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	The data only include individuals at the first point for which they are convicted of a crime. Therefore no individual appears more than once in the above table and they appear at their earliest conviction date. The number of reoffenders is calculated based on whether the individual committed any subsequent offence after an initial first offence and is not based on the methodology as measured in the Proven Reoffending Statistics Quarterly Bulletin:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/reoffending/proven-re-offending
	which only include those individual who has committed an offence within 18 months during the follow-up period.
	Table 4 shows the number of young people of each age from 10 to 17 who received a caution, how many received only one caution and those who receive further cautions since 1 July 2001.
	
		
			 Table 4: Number of people who received cautions between age 10 to 17 since 1 July 2001 
			 Age Total Received only one caution Went on to receive at least one further caution 
			 10 14,914 7,006 7,908 
			 11 32,452 16,519 15,933 
			 12 65,252 35,428 29,824 
			 13 106,080 60,983 45,097 
			 14 148,297 89,993 58,304 
			 15 169,072 108,284 60,788 
		
	
	
		
			 16 154,810 103,866 50,944 
			 17 138,900 98,330 40,570 
			 Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	The data in table 4 only includes individuals at the first point in which they receive a caution. Therefore an individual can only appear once in the above table. This first caution date is then used to determine whether an individual went on to receive a further caution.
	These figures are derived from the data used to produce Table 7.1 in ‘Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly Update to March 2012’ which was last published on 13 September 2012. The link to the report is found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/criminal-justice-stats-march-2012.pdf
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Business: Government Assistance

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) applications have been received from and (b) loans have been made to (i) men and (ii) women under the Start-Up Loans scheme.

Michael Fallon: We do not hold data on overall applications and inquiries under the Start-Up Loans scheme. However we can provide a breakdown on successful applications made to Delivery Partners.
	Indicative findings from detailed monthly returns (latest available is to end November 2012) suggest the current split of successful loan applications is 219 male (57%) and 167 female (43%).
	We do not currently hold data on applications received by gender, although this will form part of the overall assessment of the pilot later in the year.

Business: Government Assistance

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) guidance and (b) requirements relating to gender have been issued to partner organisations responsible for administering the Start-Up Loans scheme.

Michael Fallon: No guidance has been issued to the Start-Up Loans Company in respect of gender. All applications are assessed solely on the basis of business viability, regardless of gender.

Business: Government Assistance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, columns 661-2W, on Business: Liverpool, by what date the Government expects the Growth Accelerator scheme to help 26,000 businesses; and what (a) targets, (b) milestones and (c) objectives he has set in relation to the scheme.

Michael Fallon: GrowthAccelerator will support up to 26,000 SMEs by 31 March 2015. The aim for the programme is to deliver £2.2 billion of economic growth and create 55,000 new jobs. The scheme is on track to support 5,500 firms in 2012/13, with the remainder spread evenly over the following two years. The ultimate objective of GrowthAccelerator is increase economic output through facilitating additional growth and productivity among businesses with high growth potential.

Business: Government Assistance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) staff secondments and (b) staff transfers, (i) his Department and (ii) other Government Departments have made to (A) the Start Up Loans Company and (B) Start Up Britain.

Michael Fallon: One member of staff from BIS and one member of staff from DCLG are currently on secondment to the Start-Up Loans Company. Two members of staff represent 1.6 FTE. No staff have been transferred to either Start-Up Loans Company or Start Up Britain.

Business: Government Assistance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications have been received for funds under the Start Up Loans scheme (a) in total and (b) in each region to date; how many loans have been agreed under the scheme (i) in total and (ii) in each region; and how many loans have been made where funds have been made available to end recipients (A) in total and (B) in each region.

Michael Fallon: As at 8 January 2013, almost 4,000 young people have made an initial application through the Start-Up Loans website alone. Delivery partners have worked with or are currently working with over 3,000 applications from young people.
	We do not currently hold regional data on applications made to delivery partners. However the regional breakdown of approved lending as at 3 January 2013 is provided as follows.
	As at 4 January 2013, 494 loans have been approved under the scheme. Approval confirms the loan funds are available to loan recipients to draw on. As such, the number of loans agreed and loans where funding is made available is the same.
	The regional breakdown (by number of loans) of agreed lending is complied monthly. The latest breakdown available (to 13 December 2012) and is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			 East Midlands 5 
			 East of England 3 
			 Greater London 34 
			 North East England 3 
			 North West 9 
			 South East 19 
			 South West 7 
			 West Midlands 14 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 6

Consumer Information

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent discussions he and his officials have had with external stakeholders on the Midata initiative relating to (a) privacy, (b) data theft and (c) fraud; and whether any concerns relating to the initiative were raised in those discussions;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure the Midata initiative does not increase the risk of (a) infringements of privacy, (b) data theft and (c) fraud.

Jo Swinson: The Government has established an overarching board and five consumer protection and trust working groups. The purpose of the groups is to analyse the potential risks of infringements of privacy, data theft and fraud, the suitability of existing safeguards in the range of circumstances that midata creates, and to identify whether any additional safeguards are required. The external stakeholders include representatives of consumer and privacy organisations, the telecoms, energy and financial service sectors, price comparison sites and the Information Commissioner's Office. All of these are assessing the provisions of existing procedures and guidance. The groups will make recommendations by the summer and any new safeguards which are needed will be taken forward as part of the midata initiative.
	The midata programme is seeking to secure the voluntary release of customer data, in a machine readable electronic format, in some key sectors. The Government intends to table an amendment to the ERR Bill to provide powers to enable regulations to be made should insufficient progress be made on a voluntary basis.

Credit: Interest Rates

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to impose tighter regulation on pay-day loan companies.

Jo Swinson: The Government is committed to ensuring that payday lending consumers are protected against bad practices, and is willing to impose regulation to achieve this. This is why we recently tabled an amendment to the Financial Services Bill to give the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) a specific power to cap the total cost of credit, if it considers that to do so would be consistent with its objectives (including the objective to protect consumers). These powers will come into effect once, as we have proposed, the FCA takes over regulation of consumer credit in April 2014. Before then, we are strengthening Office of Fair Trading (OFT) enforcement with a new power to suspend a business's credit licence with immediate effect or on a date specified by the OFT.
	However, we recognise that a voluntary approach can deliver real improvements in consumer protection more quickly than Government regulation. This is why we welcomed the strengthened codes of practice and new customer charter implemented by individual lenders in November 2012. We expect these revised codes to deliver enhanced consumer protections as well as provide greater transparency about how these loans work. Citizens Advice and the four trade associations representing the payday lending industry will be monitoring lenders' compliance, with the latter carrying out an effectiveness review in summer 2013.

Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department paid to Deloitte for consultancy services in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Jo Swinson: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Core BIS spend with Deloitte 
			  £ million 
			 By fiscal year  
			 2010/11 1.70 
			 2011/12 1.92 
			 2012/13 (1)0.58 
			   
			 By calendar yea  
			 2010 0.81 
			 2011 2.69 
			 2012 (1)0.81 
			 (1) Up to end November 2012

Foreign Investment in UK

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to ensure that efforts made by the devolved administration in the UK to market their actions as recipients for inward investment do not conflict with the programmes undertaken by UK Trade and Investment.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) works closely with the Welsh Government and other devolved Administrations on inward investment to ensure a joined-up approach to foreign direct investment and minimise risk of conflicting activity. The primary formal device is the International Business Development Forum, in which senior officials from UKTI and the devolved Administrations meet regularly to share information and address current issues. Presentations and discussions include forward plans for the GREAT campaign, and cross-sector and sector propositions.

Insolvency Service: Liverpool

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of levels of staffing in Liverpool Insolvency Service Office; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: There has been no assessment of staffing levels at the Insolvency Service's office at Liverpool other than that undertaken for ongoing resourcing and planning purposes.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department takes to align marketing initiatives by local enterprise partners with the requirements of UK Trade and Investment.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 9 January 2013
	It is for local enterprise partnerships to determine their own priorities and strategies, while Government is keen to work with them delivering these. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is engaging closely with local enterprise partnerships to maximise opportunities for collaboration at the local level. This includes:
	UKTI working interactively with partnerships to identify local strengths and opportunities for potential foreign investors and developing local propositions in response to specific opportunities;
	Encouraging local enterprise partnerships' marketing initiatives to flow from this analysis;
	Within UKTI, reflecting this in the information on the UK's strengths and experiences to UKTI investment teams overseas and in the UK.

Minimum Wage

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the budget was for the HM Revenue and Customs minimum wage enforcement team in each year since 2008.

Jo Swinson: The budget for the national minimum wage enforcement team in each year since 2008 is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2008/09 7.7 
			 2009/10 8.3 
			 2010/11 8.1 
			 2011/12 8.3 
			 2012/13 8.3

Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which events at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were attended by each Minister in his Department using tickets or passes for which they did not pay personally; and what the cost was of attending each such event for members of the public who used comparable seats or had comparable access.

Michael Fallon: The Government pledged to publish these details following the Olympic and Paralympic Games and will do so shortly.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many procurement officers are currently employed by his Department.

Jo Swinson: BIS has 143 procurement professionals employed at this time.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many civil servants in his Department regularly deal with procurement services.

Jo Swinson: This information is not held centrally and the response provided to parliamentary question 135690 contains the information we can provide at this time.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many procurement officers in his Department have relevant procurement qualifications.

Jo Swinson: BIS has 69 procurement officers who are professionally qualified.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Charities

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) discussions and (b) meetings (i) ministers and (ii) officials in his Department had with UK registered charities in (A) November 2012 and (B) December 2012.

Mark Hoban: The Department publishes on a quarterly basis details of meetings between Ministers, the Permanent Secretary and external organisations; these can be found at the following links. Any missing information will be published in due course.
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ministers-meetings-overseas.shtml
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ps-meetings-external-orgs.shtml
	Information relating to meetings/discussions with officials can be provided only at
	disproportionate costs.

Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many meetings Ministers and officials in his Department had with Deloitte in each month of (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Mark Hoban: Details of all meetings between DWP Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the Department's website. The following link will direct you to that site:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ministers-meetings-overseas.shtml
	Information relating to the period July 2012 to December 2012 will be published in due course.
	Information relating to meetings between Deloitte and officials can be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Employment and Support Allowance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time for an appeal by a claimant against a decision on non-entitlement to employment and support allowance to be heard was in each of the last four years.

Mark Hoban: The average clearance time from receipt to disposal of an employment and support allowance appeal by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is as follows:
	
		
			 Average clearance time—receipt HMCTS to disposal all appeals 
			  ESA (1, 2) 
			 2009-10(3) 12.6 
			 2010-11(3) 19.4 
			 2011-12(3) 22.9 
			 April 2012-June 2012 18.9 
			 (1 )Includes ESA (employment support allowance) and ESAR IB (incapacity benefit) reassessment. (2) ESA was introduced in October 2008. We have therefore supplied data from 2009-10, the first full year for which there was data, to June 2012, the latest data available. ESAR (IB reassessment) was rolled out nationally from April 2011. (3 )Data runs from 1 April to 31 March ie 2009-10 from 1 April 2009-31 March 2010.

Employment and Support Allowance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were deemed eligible for employment and support allowance because of dependency on (a) drugs and (b) alcohol in each of the last four years.

Mark Hoban: Medical condition does not, in itself, confer entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA). Entitlement is based on a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). This assesses the functional effects of an individual's condition or conditions and determines whether the individual should be entitled to ESA and if so whether they should be in the Work Related Activity Group or Support Group.
	Information on ESA claimants with drug or alcohol dependency is not available.
	In September 2012 the Department released figures which give the outcomes of all applications for ESA received between October 2008 and November 2011, broken down by the main health condition as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD10), published by the World Health Organisation. These data have been adjusted to take account of any completed appeals on these claims:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/ESA_WCA_Detailed_medical_condition_breakdown_after_ appeals.xls
	It should be noted that the medical condition recorded above represents that recorded at the start of the claim and therefore may not represent a claimant's most recent medical condition. It is also important to note that, where someone has more than one condition only their primary condition will usually be recorded.
	More information on ICD10 codes is available at:
	http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/

Employment and Support Allowance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants were aged over (a) 40, (b) 50, (c) 55, (d) 60 and (e) 65 years in each year since ESA was introduced.

Mark Hoban: The proportion of employment and support allowance claimants by age in Great Britain from February 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  February each year 
			 Age of claimant 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 40 and under 48.3 45.9 44.8 40.7 
			 41 -50 24.4 26.4 27.1 28.1 
		
	
	
		
			 51 -55 11.8 12.3 12.6 14.1 
			 56-60 11.1 11.3 11.8 13.8 
			 Over 60 4.4 4.1 3.8 3.3 
			 Notes: 1. Percentages are shown to one decimal place. 2. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008 3. Age of claimant: There are a small number of claimants showing as above working age—this is due, in part, to processes for opening and closing live claims. There are also a small numbers of appeals awaiting resolution where the claimant has moved into pensionable age during their appeal. Source: DWP Information Governance and Security Directorate 100% WPLS

Employment and Support Allowance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women aged (i) 18 to 29, (ii) 30 to 39, (iii) 40 to 49 and (iv) 50 to 59 years claim employment and support allowance; and how many men aged 60 to 65 years claim employment and support allowance.

Mark Hoban: The number of employment and support allowance claimants by age and gender in Great Britain for February 2012 is as follows:
	
		
			  Gender 
			 Age of claimant All Female Male 
			 All 991,190 455,900 535,290 
			 Other 4,570 2,160 2,410 
			 18 to 29 188,860 82,090 106,770 
			 30 to 39 185,510 83,490 102,020 
			 40 to 49 274,200 138,620 135,580 
			 50 to 59 280,500 140,460 140,040 
			 60 to 65 57,560 9,090 48,470 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008 3. Age of claimant: There are a small number of claimants showing as above working age—this is due, in part, to processes for opening and closing live claims. There are also a small numbers of appeals awaiting resolution where the claimant has moved into pensionable age during their appeal. Source: DWP Information Governance and Security Directorate 100% WPLS

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to announce his decision on the future of the Fit for Work service pilots.

Esther McVey: The Fit for Work service pilot will end on 31 March 2013 and we plan to publish a final evaluation report in summer 2013.

Jobcentre Plus

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the accessibility of information on public services via jobcentres and post offices; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Information for citizens about benefits, welfare entitlements and DWP services is provided by DWP through printed leaflets and online channels such as the GOV.uk website.
	The information DWP provides covers the full range of benefits, rights and responsibilities for people who want to claim benefits or pensions.
	A mandatory stock of leaflets is displayed in all Jobcentre Plus offices. Stock is checked monthly so the latest information is available to the public. Jobcentre Plus staff also provide information about DWP services by signposting to online information and can order additional leaflets on behalf of customers, including alternative formats (such as large print, audio or Braille) where required.
	It's not current DWP policy to provide information to the public via the post office, but the Department is reviewing its policy for promoting online information in public places, including via the post office.

New Enterprise Allowance

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been helped to establish businesses by the New Enterprise Allowance scheme in (a) Feltham and Heston constituency, (b) Hounslow and (c) each region of the UK in the last 12 months.

Mark Hoban: We have published data on the number of new enterprise allowance (NEA) mentor starts and weekly allowance starts by local authority area. This can be found in the following table:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/Table_1_NEA_starts_by_Local_Authority.xls
	Due to small sample sizes, it is not possible to produce the numbers of mentor starts and weekly allowance starts at parliamentary constituency level.
	The table shows that in Hounslow there were 60 mentor starts and 20 weekly allowance starts for the period April 2011 up to and including May 2012. The number of NEA mentor starts and weekly allowance starts in other local authorities can also be found in the table.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many procurement officers are currently employed by his Department;
	(2)  how many civil servants in his Department regularly deal with procurement services;
	(3)  how many procurement officers in his Department have relevant procurement qualifications.

Mark Hoban: There are 460 full- and part-time staff regularly dealing with procurement services in DWP. Of those, 419 are procurement officers working either full-time or part-time.
	386 procurement officers have achieved relevant procurement qualifications. 33 procurement officers are training towards procurement qualification but have not yet achieved qualified status.

Procurement

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many research contracts commissioned by his Department were not subject to a tendering process in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Mark Hoban: None—all social research contracts commissioned by the Department are subject to a tendering process.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Leeds North West constituency have been charged with benefit fraud in each of the last five years.

Mark Hoban: The number of people in Leeds North West constituency who have been charged with benefit fraud is not available. The number of people in Leeds referred for prosecution in the last four years is shown as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2008-09 130 
			 2009-10 215 
			 2010-11 91 
			 2011-12 89 
		
	
	As an alternative to prosecution, the Department for Work and Pensions offers financial penalties (known as administrative penalties) or cautions. The number of people who received an administrative penalty or caution for the last four years in Leeds is shown as follows.
	
		
			 Total 
			  Administrative penalty Caution 
			 2008-09 145 213 
			 2009-10 262 261 
			 2010-11 123 142 
			 2011-12 216 214 
		
	
	The information in the format above is not available for the fiscal year 2007-08.

Social Security Benefits: Hyperactivity

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice on benefits his Department provides to people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or their parents when first diagnosed.

Mark Hoban: In the main benefit, entitlement is not linked to a particular disorder. As a result we do not generally offer benefit advice on specific disorders/conditions, but we routinely signpost people to benefit information, including information available online via the gov.uk website. This would include information on disability living allowance for both adults and children. We also provide our staff with awareness in relation to hidden impairments such as ADHD, so that they are sensitive to accessibility and signposting needs.

Social Security Benefits: South Lanarkshire

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants attending a jobcentre in (a) Hamilton and (b) Rutherglen had benefit sanctions imposed on them in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012.

Mark Hoban: We cannot provide the number of benefit sanctions imposed without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The following table shows the number of recommendations for sanctions made by labour market decision makers, based on the evidence available to them.
	
		
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Hamilton JC 2,145 1,496 1,448 
			 Rutherglen JC 743 415 432 
			 Source: Decision Making and Appeals System (DMAS) 
		
	
	The level of sanction is determined separately by the benefit payment decision maker, who will take into account the customer's individual circumstances. A financial sanction may result in a reduction in the amount of benefit payable rather than a complete cessation. Not all decisions made by the labour market decision maker result in a financial sanction as a claimant may have already ceased to claim benefit for another reason.

Unemployment: Young People

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 year olds in the UK who currently have no work experience or experience of part-time work.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested fails within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 year olds in the UK who currently have no work experience or experience of part-time work. (136143)
	Estimates of employment are provided by the Labour Force Survey (LFS). For the period July to September 2012 it is estimated that there were 461,000 16 year olds; 355,000 17 year olds and 252,000 18 year olds who had never had a paid job of any kind or a place on a government supported training or employment programme. It is not possible to measure those who have received work experience as part of their formal education.
	The estimates expressed as a percentage of the population in each case are: 63% for 16 year olds; 48% for 17 year olds and 33% for 18 year olds.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what effect HM Revenue and Customs being subsequently unable to match a PAYE real time information submission with a hash cross reference received from the payment system will have on the universal credit of the individual concerned.

Mark Hoban: For any individual universal credit claimant, the lack of a matching cross reference, where one would be expected, will be just one of a number of factors taken into account in assessing whether there is a risk to the Exchequer of paying UC out without making further checks with the claimant.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2012, Official Report, column 63W, on work capability assessment, how many people in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland have been waiting longer than 13 weeks for a work capability assessment since completing the ESA 50 questionnaire.

Mark Hoban: There are currently 13,068 ESA initial referrals open and awaiting an assessment that are in excess of 13 weeks from the date that the questionnaire was returned. 708 of these cases are in Scotland.

Work Programme

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding his Department has provided to Work programme providers in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North Nast and (d) the UK.

Mark Hoban: The total paid to Work programme providers in the UK is £337.9 million from the start of the programme through to 30 July 2012, ie the period covered by the Statistical Release. Due to commercial in confidence considerations we are not able to release financial data below the national level at this time.

Work Programme

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) early entrants, (ii) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming JSA, (iii) employment and support allowance (ESA) volunteers, (iv) new ESA claimants, (v) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming ESA, (vi) incapacity benefit or income support claimants who volunteered and (vii) prison leavers claiming JSA who participated in the Work Programme in Scotland between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 13 weeks or more.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on what (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) early entrants, (ii) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming JSA, (iii) employment and support allowance (ESA) volunteers, (iv) new ESA claimants, (v) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming ESA and (vi) incapacity benefit or income support claimants who volunteered who participated in the Work Programme in Scotland between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 13 weeks or more can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Work Programme

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) early entrants, (ii) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming JSA, (iii) employment and support allowance (ESA) volunteers, (iv) new ESA claimants, (v) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming ESA, (vi) incapacity benefit or income support claimants who volunteered and (vii) prison leavers claiming JSA who participated in the Work Programme in Edinburgh North and Leith constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 13 weeks or more.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on what (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) jobseeker's allowance (JSA) early entrants, (ii) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming JSA, (iii) employment and support allowance (ESA) volunteers, (iv) new ESA claimants, (v) ex-incapacity benefit claimants claiming ESA and (vi) incapacity benefit or income support claimants who volunteered who participated in the Work Programme in Edinburgh North and Leith constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 13 weeks or more can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Work Programme

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what (a) number and (b) proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants aged (i) 18 to 24 and (ii) over 25 who participated in the Work Programme in Scotland between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 26 weeks or more;
	(2)  what (a) number and (b) proportion of jobseekers allowance claimants aged (i) 18 to 24 and (ii) over 25 who participated in the Work Programme in Edinburgh North and Leith constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 26 weeks or more.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on what (a) number and (b) proportion of jobseeker’s allowance claimants aged (i) 18 to 24 and (ii) over 25 who participated in the Work Programme in Scotland and Edinburgh North and Leith constituency between June 2011 and May 2012 found work for 26 weeks or more can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an assessment of the extent to which Work programme providers are delivering on the support for jobseekers proposed in their bids; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Work programme providers are required to meet the minimum service standards agreed in their contract. An assessment of routine monthly compliance checks will be undertaken and the findings published later this year.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 790W, on Work programme, which specialist homelessness organisations are currently in the Work programme supply chain.

Mark Hoban: Broadway Homelessness is a subcontractor in West London and other homelessness organisations have call off arrangements whereby their services are used as and when required. The Department does not monitor these arrangements.

Work Programme: East of England

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people in the (a) East of England and (b) Huntingdon constituency who have been referred to the Work programme have found employment for more than six months, to date.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on what proportion of people in (a) the East of England and (b)Huntingdon constituency who have been referred to the Work programme have found employment for more than six months, to date, can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Cayman Islands

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility between the Cayman Islands and the UK being enshrined into law in the Cayman Islands, what information his Department holds on the monthly operating costs, actual performance and forecast reports for the Cayman Turtle Farm for 2012-13 as set out in Annex C of the Framework.

Mark Simmonds: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 31 October 2012, Official Report, column 267W.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the monetary value was of contracts awarded by his Department to (a) management consultancies and (b) IT companies in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The information is as follows:
	(a) The value of contracts for management consultancies awarded in (i) 2010-11 was £19,227,414 and in (ii) 2011-12 £12,041,168.
	(b) In terms of IT companies the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) awarded the following contracts:
	(i) In 2010-11:
	Awarded the Echo Global Communications contract to CWW/Vodafone on 13 September 2010. The contract was awarded for an initial five and a half years, with the option to extend for a further two years. The estimated lifetime monetary value of this contract is £82.5 million;
	No other major IT contracts were awarded by the FCO in this financial year.
	(ii) In 2011-12:
	Signed a three-year enterprise licence agreement with Microsoft for an estimated lifetime monetary value of £3.6 million;
	Awarded a call off from the Managed Telecommunications Convergence Framework a one-year contract with Level 3 with the estimated contract lifetime monetary value of £1.2 million;
	Awarded a call off from the Government Convergence Framework a two-year contract with CWW/Vodafone with the estimated contract lifetime monetary value of £4 million;
	No other major IT contracts were awarded by the FCO in this financial year.

Queen's Messengers

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Queen's Messengers are employed by his Department.

David Lidington: The Corps of the Queen's Messengers is under the administrative control of FCO Services, a trading fund of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Messengers are employed to carry classified material between the FCO and other Government Departments and overseas posts. 15 officers are employed as Queen's Messengers by FCO Services; 13 are employed on a full-time basis, and two on a part-time basis.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his counterparts in Africa ways of ending the murder of albino minorities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mark Simmonds: We are aware of continued reports of killings of albino people in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Tanzania. We have supported the Government of Tanzania's efforts to tackle this problem by funding an educational film for use in rural areas. We have regular discussions with our African partners on their human rights obligations, including protecting persons against discrimination.